Disastrous Mayhem the Sequel
by VIP86
Summary: Now in the 2nd term of their 7th year, James and Lily come to terms with their rapidly developing relationship, whilst the rise of Lord Voldemort brings death and destruction to innocent muggles.
1. Where They Are

Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter, characters and storylines in this fanfic are directly taken from or inspired by the mind of J.K. Rowling. All rights go to her.

AN: Ok, i promised i'd try and write a sequel to Disastrous Mayhem and here it is. It is no where near perfect and i'm still refining some final ideas for the plot. Regardless of that, i thought i'd get this first chapter on here now. I know it's not long and very little happens, but i just wanted to establish James and Lily's relationship before the plot develops further. I hope you find some enjoyment in it. Please, please, please review and offer any suggestions you have. Thanks so much. VIP x

Where they are

"James, what are you doing?" Lily inquired.

"Staring at you," James replied playfully.

Sighing impatiently she responded. "Well I think you've made that pretty obvious." She paused and then continued, "Why?"

"Because I want to," he stated honestly.

Lily lifted her head from her homework to look at him and said, "Well don't. You're distracting me."

James laughed a little. "Oh, I am sorry Miss Evans. Next time I start distracting you, don't hesitate to let me know. In fact, next time I'm about to kiss you, maybe I should back off before I _distract_ you from something more important."

Lily looked worried for a moment before responding. "I never said I didn't like you being a distraction. After all, you are a rather pleasant one. I just really need to get this finished tonight."

James was beginning to get annoyed. He understood that Lily liked to get things completed in good time, especially school things, but did she have to put homework before everything else?

"You don't need to do anything Lily. At least not right now," he said.

Lily sighed and then smirked, having just come to the realisation that James should really be following her example.

"Come to think of it," she began, "I'm sure you should be completing this same piece of work yourself."

"I happen to like leaving homework to the last minute. You of all people should know that," he answered smugly.

"Just because I know that about you, "Lily quickly retorted, "it doesn't mean I have to expect it. I happen to hope that one day you'll see sense and actually put some effort into your school work."

"But my grades are almost perfect," he argued back.

Lily looked flustered as she tried to win the argument. "Yes, well, it doesn't mean they can't drop. You've just been lucky so far. That's all."

"Ok, ok," James continued, "Can't you just take a little break and come sit with me for a while. I want you to be my girlfriend not my role model."

Lily sighed dramatically, closed her textbook and placed her quill back into its pot. She and James had been sat in their Head's common room. It was the start of the second term of their final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Grudgingly, yet somewhat eagerly, Lily walked toward where James was lounging on the couch.

Their relationship was still quite new. It had only been a matter of weeks since their first kiss. It was a few days after that when they'd confirmed their relationship to the world.

Sitting beside him now, Lily drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them. She couldn't believe how nervous he could still make her feel.

"Happy now?" She asked him.

James smirked mischievously and said, "Not quite." With that said, he draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. After her surprise subsided from James' abruptness, Lily relaxed into his embrace.

"Now I'm happy," he stated simply.

Christmas had been extremely awkward for both of them. They'd agreed for Lily to visit James on Christmas Eve to exchange their gifts for each other. Not only had Lily found it extremely difficult to buy a present for a guy she'd only been dating for a couple of weeks but the thought of meeting his parents so soon made her stomach churn.

However, James had informed her that with the amount of times he'd raved about her to his parents, she'd have absolutely nothing to worry about. They'd love her just as he did. Maybe not the exact way he did, but they'd love her all the same.

When she'd arrived at the Potter Mansion, Lily worried about the fact that she hadn't seen James since they departed from the platform at Kings Cross. That had been ten days ago. Nervous excitement bubbled inside her when she approached the door but James had beaten her to it. It seemed obvious that he'd awaited he arrival.

"Hey," he greeted. A slight blush tinged his cheeks as he stood smiling down at her.

'At least he looks a little nervous too,' Lily thought.

"Hi," shereplied with a wide grin across her face. Seeing the girl of his dreams react so happily to his appearance James had lunged forward to envelope her in a warm hug.

"I've missed you so much. I don't think it's normal to miss a person this much," James explained.

Lily laughed and replied, "Well, I've missed you too. And we both know that normal is something you've never been."

"Ok," James agreed, "Point taken."

They smiled at one another, staring into the other's eyes for what seemed like hours, until James grabbed her hands and asked, "Would you like to come inside?"

"I'd love to," Lily confirmed, squeezing his hands in reassurance.

Lily had always known that the Potters were a well-established, wealthy and exemplary pureblood family within the wizarding world, but nothing prepared her for the beauty of the house that lay before her. Everything was so grand, old and luxurious.

"Wow," Lily gasped in awe when she entered the hallway.

James turned to her and asked, "You like it?"

"Like it?" she paused. "I love it. I think this is possibly the most beautiful house I have ever seen," she answered.

"I'm glad you think so. I hoped you would." He smiled down at her glowing face then continued, "My parents are waiting in the drawing room to meet you. Come on".

The Potters had been so welcoming that Lily immediately settled into her new surroundings. It was important for her to see James as he was at home, with his parents, and how he spent his time outside of the school. The day they'd spent together had emphasised how little she actually knew about James, back in the days when she'd 'hated him', and just how much she loved him now.

Now in their common room, the couple had relaxed into each other as the flame in the fire flickered lazily beneath the hearth.

"Do you want to do something when we next go into Hogsmeade? Just the two of us?" James asked her.

She grinned before responding. "And what do you have in mind, exactly?"

"Oh, I don't know," he answered, "but I can guarantee it will be fun."

"You sound very sure of that," she said.

James simply stated, "That's because I am."

"Well, in that case," Lily continued, "I'd love to go to Hogsmeade with you. Just the two of us."

"Good," James concluded.

For a few moments they sat in silence until Lily's gazel, once again, fell on her homework. The textbook called to her as she remembered her half-written essay.

"Now, are you going to let me get back to my homework?" She asked James politely.

Smirking, he replied, "I don't think so."

"_James_," she whined, irritation etched on her lips.

"Oh, come on Lils. Just relax for once in your life," he commanded.

"But I want to get it finished. Once it's completed, then I can relax. Now let go, James," she demanded.

"No," he answered. "I think you need to relax _now_."

"Well _I_ think I _don't_. Now get off me!" She shouted.

"Don't be such a hothead, Lily. You can-"

"What did you just call me?" She interrupted.

"Um," he blushed, nervously.

"How dare you insinuate that the reason I'm getting angry is because I'm genetically prone to doing so!"

"Lil-"

"If you want to know the real reason I'm angry, take a look closer to home, James. It's because you make me that way," Lily explained.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. Ok? I didn't mean to upset you. I just don't agree with you pushing yourself so hard all of the time," he said sincerely.

"Then let's agree to disagree on this one," Lily suggested. "Hmn?"

"Ok," James mumbled grudgingly, "Just don't work too hard, ok? And go to sleep when you get tired, whether you've finished the stupid essay or not."

"Alright," Lily sighed.

"Now, I think you should give me a kiss goodnight before I head off to bed," James innocently suggested.

Lily smiled shyly and said, "And for once, I agree with you."

With that, they kissed goodnight.

AN: Ok, now please tell me what you think. I need some serious inspiration to write the next chappie : ) !


	2. How Things Are

Chapter 2- How Things Are

The morning post arrived in the Great Hall just as the Marauders were finishing their breakfast. Lily, Jess and Rachel had a little food left, not being as talented at gobbling as the boys were, but stopped eating as Remus picked up the Daily Prophet, that had just landed in front of him, and began to read the morning's headlines.

"There have been five more brutal attacks on muggle families in the past two days," he read aloud to the others, "leaving three more Hogwart's students orphaned."

"What?" Lily asked. She was so shocked by the news that she could barely contemplate Remus' words.

He continued reading in attempts to elaborate for her. "The school's headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, has expressed his deepest sympathies for those students who have lost loved ones, but assures us that those individuals who are grieving will be in the best of care whilst attending the school."

"Let's hope so," Sirius mumbled, "I'm not sure anywhere is safe anymore."

"This isn't the first attack on a muggle family or the first loss of a student at the school," Remus continued, "Only four months ago, a muggle-born girl attending the school lost her parents."

"Cara," James whispered.

"The Ministry of Magic is now convinced that these murders are directly linked to the dark wizard, Voldemort, and his followers- widely known as Death Eaters. It seems evident that this psycho-serial menace is still at large and a very grave threat to the wizarding world, as we know it. Something must be done," Remus concluded.

He slowly folded the paper and placed it in the centre of the table. The rest of the group sat in silence as they tried to process the recent news. It appeared that a number of other students around the hall had received a copy of the Daily Prophet too. They also sat in solemnity.

"Too right something must be done," James stated with clenched teeth, attempting to withhold his anger.

"But what can be done?" Sirius questioned.

James responded hopelessly, "I don't know."

Having lost their appetites, Rachel and Jess gently placed their spoons back in their bowls and pushed them away. Peter looked to James for reassurance but none came. Sirius maintained a silence that seemed foreign to him. Remus looked around the hall, slowly absorbing the fear that filled the atmosphere like a thick fog. At the head table, Dumbledore had risen as if to say something, immediately catching Remus' eye.

Lily thought of her parents.

The rest of the Marauders followed Remus' gaze to listen as Dumbledore addressed the school.

"May I have everyone's attention please," Dumbledore began.

"I can't listen to this," Lily sobbed as she raced out of the hall. She'd already heard enough.

The hallways became a blur as Lily ran through one after another. She wasn't sure where she was going. All she knew was that she needed to escape- to be as far away from the Great Hall as possible. Blinded by her tears, which flowed heavily, she bumped into the corners she turned and the armour she passed, until her breath gave up on her and she fell to the floor attempting to catch it.

Exhaustion had set it- physical and emotional. Just as she thought she couldn't take it anymore, she heard racing footsteps approaching her. As they grew closer they started to slow. Lily chose not to lift her head to see who it was. She was a mess and refused to allow anyone to see her this way.

"Lily," James said quietly. "Lil?"

She didn't want to cry like this. Not in front of him. Not in front of anyone. She hated appearing so vulnerable. But he didn't care. Carefully, James knelt down beside her and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked her, concern etched on even his tiniest features. "Is it the article?"

Lily decided to look at him and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I…I just…I just can't bear to think of all these muggle attacks. It's getting worse, James. My parents! They're muggles. I'm muggle-born. So many deaths. What if they're next? What if I wake up one morning to see their names on the front of the newspaper?"

A fresh batch of tears engulfed her as she buried her head into the crook of James' neck, desperately seeking a comfort she wasn't sure even he could provide.

"Shh, shh. Don't worry, Lily. They're safe, ok? If something had happened you'd know about it. We'll sort it out. We'll find a way to keep them safe. Just try to calm down," James said in attempts to relax her.

Lily clutched his robes tightly. "I can't, James. I'm so worried. I feel…I feel so helpless. We have to do something. I have to help them."

She gently pushed away from him and quickly rose to her feet.

"We have to do something now!" she bellowed as she started down the hallway.

"Lil," James called to her, "Lily wait! Where are you going?"

"To pack," she replied and continued marching towards her dorm room.

"Look, Lily. I know Voldemort is a huge threat but there is nothing you can do right now," James tried to reason with her.

"Well I have to try," she responded hotly.

James sighed in resignation. Why was she so stubborn? Ok, it was one of the things that he loved about her most. He wouldn't have her any other way. But it was so darn difficult to be with her when she was like this.

"Ok. If you have to do something then at least let me help you," he compromised with her.

"Ok," she whispered.

Hesitantly, James asked, "Can I make a suggestion?"

A little reluctantly, Lily replied, "Ok."

"Can we go and see Dumbledore about this before we do anything rash? Can we at least talk this through with him? He might be able to help," James explained.

Lily looked a little dubious but agreed anyway, "I…I guess so."

"Ok," he continued, taking her hand in his own, "we'll go and find him as soon as breakfast is over, when he's back in his office."

Lily still appeared to look defeated but a little more hope shone through her tears.

"Ok, James. And thank you," she stated, simply.

He slowly leaned his forehead against her own and said, "Not a problem," before softly kissing her on the head.

Dumbledore had been most understanding when Lily and James had finally got to see him. He'd assured them that he'd do everything in his power to share Lily's concerns with the ministry and encourage them to monitor the families of muggle-born students in attempts to keep them safe. Letters were to be sent to all parents explaining this dark threat and informing them of the severity of the situation. It appeared that Lily wouldn't be leaving the school anytime soon. Dumbledore maintained that it would be far more sensible for her to stay safe within the school walls and to allow professional Aurors from the ministry to bodyguard her parents.

After the meeting, Lily felt a little more at ease but deep concern was still in the back of her mind.

As she and James walked through the halls on the way to their first class of the day, he gently lifted her hand to his lips, softly kissed it, and offered her a small smile. She returned it effortlessly. How was it that even in a time such as this he could still make her feel wonderful and completely safe with just a smile?

Unfortunately, Lily's smile soon turned to a frown when she saw Cara approaching in the opposite direction, looking withdrawn and preoccupied. She hadn't spoken to Cara since before Christmas and, with recent news, Lily was concerned for her friend's well being. Before the Christmas holidays, it had seemed that Cara was finally starting to come to terms with the death of her parents. These latest attacks can't have been easy for her to hear about.

"Hi Cara," Lily greeted her.

Cara looked a little startled by Lily's sudden address.

"Oh, hi Lily," she replied.

"Are you ok?" Lily asked.

Cara smiled a little forlornly before answering. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" she questioned.

"It's just," James explained, "with all the recent attacks and everything we were worried that it would bring back a lot of painful memories for you."

"Well," Cara began, "I can't deny that when I first heard about it all I was a little upset. If I'm being wholly honest, the death of my parents is something that I'm still coming to terms with. But I'm ok. I have moments where I need to cry or go somewhere quiet to clear my head, but I'm getting through. You don't need to worry. Thanks for caring though."

"Ok. Well, I'm glad you're ok," Lily responded, "but if you ever want to voice some of those thoughts to someone, or you need a shoulder to cry on, then don't hesitate to come to me. I'm always here for you."

"Thanks Lily. I'll remember that. Seya around," she said as she turned the corner and headed to her first class of the day.

"Bye," Lily and James replied in unison.

"I wish I could be as strong as she is," Lily mumbled to James.

"You are," he assured her. "It's just different for you. Cara's got nothing left to lose now. All she can do is stay strong. You, on the other hand, have everything to lose. Your parents aren't dead yet. And we're going to make sure they stay that way. It's only human for you to be scared, Lily. Come on, let's get to class."

Professor McGonagall called Lily and James to her office just as morning classes ended. It was time to discuss their task, as head boy and girl, for the second term.

"So, it is your duty to help organise a duelling championship for the end of term festivities. The championship will be an inter-house event. You are required to finalise the date for the event, decorate the Great Hall appropriately, put into effect the necessary safety procedures, design an award for the winner and organise a celebratory party for after the winner is announced. I think that covers everything you need to know," McGonagall explained and then asked, "Is it all quite clear?"

"I think so," Lily said.

"You said 'winner', professor," James began, "Does that mean an individual winner or is it an entire school house that wins?"

"An individual will win the award itself. However, the four houses will have the opportunity to win house points. The winner will be awarded 200 house points; second place will receive 100 house points and third place 50. As you can probably see, Mr Potter, if one house alone was to put forward contestants of such a high standard that they ranked in all of the top three places, that house would be awarded the full 350 points. A lead like that would surely result in that house winning the house cup for the entire school year. Let us hope that the champion and cup shall both belong to Gryffindor, eh?" She elaborated.

"Of course, professor," James agreed, smiling.

"Erm…professor?" Lily said.

"Yes, Miss Evans."

"I was wondering, are James and I allowed to compete?" she asked.

"Yourself and Mr Potter may compete in the tournament, so long as you don't take advantage of the knowledge you'll no doubt have regarding the construction of the rules and safety regulations put in place. However, I would suggest that you strongly consider not taking part. Although it is a great shame to lose two of Gryffindor's most gifted students, I'd rather that be the case then have to deal with the constant ridicule our house is bound to face if one of you were to win the competition. So, as head of Gryffindor house, I think it best that you two don't compete. But the choice shall remain yours," she stated.

"We'll keep that in mind," James assured her.

"And who will be judging the competition, professor?" Lily inquired.

"Ah, well the judges include myself, Professor Slughorn, Professor Dumbledore, of course, and the Minister of Magic himself. It is an important wizarding event; so don't let the school down. You two need to pull off something spectacular here. I have every faith in your abilities. After your success in throwing last year's Christmas Ball, this should be effortless for you. Good luck."

"Thank you, professor," James said as he and Lily rose to exit her office.

"Oh, and Miss Evans," McGonagall called, "Professor Dumbledore has informed me of your concerns for your family. He asked me to assure you that it is all in hand. In fact, the ministry are to send teams of Aurors out to the families that they feel to be in danger. Your family are on the list and a defence squad should be with them as soon as tomorrow morning."

" Really!" Lily asked in bewilderment, "Oh, thank you. Thank you so much."

"And if there is the slightest hint of trouble, your family will be moved to a safe house immediately. I hope that you may now put your mind at ease. Especially now that you have this competition to plan," she paused to smile at the pair and continued, "You may go."

And so they did.

"Hey. Watch this," Sirius demanded, "Prongs, Moony, watch this."

The two boys readily gave Sirius their attention as he snuck behind a bush and secretly transformed into his dog form. He emerged at a sprint and headed in the direction of a group of first year girls. They screamed as Sirius playfully nipped at their ankles and bared his teeth to have total impact. It was only when Professor McGonagall approached from the Grand Entrance that Sirius ceased his antics and sprinted into the forbidden forest to transform back into a human.

When he re-emerged Remus and James were both in hysterics. They were sat beneath a particularly nice willow tree by the side of the lake enjoying their lunch break.

"Padfoot, you are insane," James explained. "Don't you know those girls are too young for you."

"Ha, ha, Prongs," Sirius muttered sarcastically.

"You should have seen McGonagall's face," James continued, "when she saw you escaping she was fuming. She has absolutely no clue where you could have come from."

James continued laughing.

"Well I wasn't going to stick around, was I?" Sirius said, laughing himself.

"I hope you didn't give any of those poor girls your fleas," Remus said with a wink.

"Look, I don't have fleas!" Sirius shouted.

"Ew! Sirius has fleas?" Jess screamed

Lily, Jess and Rachel had just walked across the school grounds to meet the boys by the side of the lake.

"Of course I don't," Sirius told her, "They were just joking, that's all. I'm still 100 kissable."

"Well," Jess began, "it's better to be on the safe side. I think I'll sit way over here." She pointed in the opposite direction to where Sirius stood.

"Fine," he huffed grumpily. He then folded his arms tightly across his chest and sat roughly on the grass.

"Oh come on mate," James said, "Jess won't hold it against you."

"And what makes you think that I care what she thinks?" Sirius asked pompously.

Remus just smirked and answered, "Oh, just an inkling."

James laughed loudly as Lily came and sat by him. Rachel went to join Jess.

"Hi," Lily said softly to James.

"Hi," he replied. "How are you feeling now?" He asked whilst wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Better," she answered honestly, "Much better."

"I'm glad to hear that," James stated and tenderly kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey Remus," Rachel shouted over to him, "How did you find the quiz in Potions this morning?"

"Oh, it was ok. I think I did pretty well," he answered.

"Well, you always do," she complimented him.

"I thought it was rather easy," Lily added. "Professor Slughorn chose some really interesting topics to quiz us on. It was quite nice of him really."

"Well, as Slughorn's favourite student, you, my love, are bound to think so," James continued. "I, on the other hand, thought the quiz was dreadful."

Sirius laughed.

"It was not," Lily argued.

"Yes it was," James smiled back at her.

"Was not," she shot back.

"Was t-"

"Quit it you guys!" Jess shouted.

"I wonder what Wormtail thought of the quiz. He hates Slughorn's class." Sirius stated.

"Where is Peter?" Lily asked them.

"He's been absent a lot lately. Do you think he's ok?" Remus asked everyone but looked to James in particular.

James noticed this and answered, "I'm sure he's fine. I'll chat to him tonight and make sure though. Just in case."

"Well, well, well," a cold voice interrupted their discussion. "What a lovely sight- Potter and the mudblood! I bet she's only good for one thing."

"What did you just say!" James shouted, rising to his feet.

"James don-" Lily started.

"Take that back, Malfoy," James continued, "Or I'll hex you into the beyond."

"I'd like to see you try. In fact, let's see who's the better dueller right now."

"Let's," James agreed.

"James stop this," Lily said more loudly.

"Shut up Mudblood," Snape spat. Wherever Malfoy went, he wasn't far behind.

"Come on Snivellus. Let's duel too. You and me," Sirius joined in.

"Enough of this," Remus began. "Malfoy, Snape," he nodded at both in acknowledgement, "Why don't you two disappear? If you want to have this duel so much then we can organise a more suitable time and place, but not now. We need a setting where we can really show off our abilities. You know, without any interference from teachers."

"Oh, but then I'd have to miss the look on _her_ face when I split her boyfriend's chest open," Lucius spat.

"James," Lily gasped.

"Stay back, Lily," he shouted at her.

"How touching," Snape stated, sarcasm dripping in his tone.

"Just back off," Remus repeated.

"Very well," Lucius agreed. "We can have this little duel at a more…appropriate time. But listen to me, Potter. You're going to wish you were never born by the time I'm finished with you. I'll be sending you to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Come along, Severus."

The two Slytherins turned and headed back into the school, cackling.

"What did you do that for, Moony? We could have taken them easy. And wiped that smile of his face. How dare he talk about Lily that way!" James shouted.

"You want to know why I did it, James?" Remus explained. "It's because I was actually listening to your girlfriend, something that you clearly need to do. She was terrified Prongs. I didn't want Lily, or Jess and Rachel, to have to witness a huge fight. They weren't kidding around. They meant business. And if we want to stand a chance of beating them in a duel, we need to do some serious preparation."

"Ok, ok. I get it," James responded. "I'm sorry. Thanks for looking out for her. I shouldn't have got so angry. I just hate it when they talk about Lily that way. She's too special for that."

"I know how you feel, mate. But putting your life in danger isn't going to make her feel any better," Remus concluded.

"Alright, alright. Now that Moony's put a dampener on that bit of fun, let's go and prepare for the actual event. And find Peter along the way," Sirius commented.

"We have a class in five minutes, doofus," Jess said.

"Oh, yeah. I guess I just got caught up in all the excitement, or something," Sirius stated, blushing slightly.

"Let's get them over with then," Remus said.

The gang picked up their bags and started to follow the crowds of students who were all heading indoors for the start of afternoon lessons. Lily hung back wanting some time alone, but James waited for her.

"Come on Lils," he said, hurriedly.

He reached out his hand for hers but she didn't take it.

"I don't like this, James. This stupid arrangement with Malfoy and Snape is dangerous. He'll kill you if he gets the chance," she whispered.

"Ha, kill me? I don't think so. Malfoy kill the great James Potter? Not a chance. Listen, you've got nothing to worry about."

Once again he reached out to her but she backed away.

"What?" James asked, clearly confused.

"I can't be around you right now," Lily answered, "Just leave me alone, ok?

"But Lily," James began.

"No 'buts', James. I've had enough of this conflict with the Slytherins. I hate Malfoy as much as the next person but I don't get pleasure out of hexing him into oblivion."

"He insulted you," James explained, exasperated.

"I don't want to hear it. Just leave me alone for a while," she requested.

James looked annoyed but asked, "For how long?"

"For as long as it takes for you to deflate that ego of yours…again!"

And she walked away.

AN: Ok, so i found some inspiration from somewhere. Thank to those of you that reviewed. It really meant a lot so here's a shout out to...

Goodman- thanks for your support. I always thought that Lily and James would still bicker a lot even when they were going out. Glad you like that.

Crafty- for background info on how James and Lily got together then you can read the prequel to this story, if you haven't done so already. Hope it explains a lot more.

Darkdestiny2000- I'm so glad you liked the prequel. I only hope that this one can live up to it. So yeah, i included the Marauders and Snape and Malfoy in this chapter. I hope it isn't too much to digest in one go. Oh, and Lily has met the Potters. I just didn't write it in detail because i was struggling for a good way to write it in detail. Lazy, i know, but i hope you still got an impression of what they thought of her.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I'm trying to get back into writing lengthier chapters again. Please, please, please review and let me know what you think so far. I'm really excited to hear what you all think.

All the best,

VIP x


	3. What Could Be?

What Could Be?

It had been several hours since Lily's argument with James and she was feeling rotten. Jess and Rachel were doing their best to cheer her up but there was only so much they could do. Lily had to make the decision to allow herself to feel better in order to do so, and she was currently choosing to mope.

"Lil," Rachel urged her, "just go and speak to him. I'm sure he's hurting just as much as you are."

Lily wiped fresh tears from her cheeks before responding. "Well, he deserves to."

"Lil-" Jess began.

"No," Lily interrupted, "do you know how difficult it is? It's exactly like it was before we went out. Only now, it's worse! It's worse because now I love the stupid idiot."

"Oh Lily," Jess stated, "If you love him then he can't be all bad."

"It's not that he's a bad person," Lily explained, "It's just that he's so reckless. I love the fact that he's loyal to me, and to his friends and family, but the way he shows it. Urgh! Standing up to the Slytherins is one thing but provoking them is a whole other thing. A stupid, dangerous, reckless thing."

Rachel looked to Jess for support only to find that they were both at a loss for words.

"I know that you both think I'm being irrational," Lily continued, "but I can't emotionally deal with worrying about what James is up to 24/7. If he can't understand that, and at least try to change, then how can we ever stay together?"

"You're not going to end things, are you?" Jess exclaimed.

"No. Lily, you can't!" Rachel shouted.

Lily rolled her eyes at the reaction of her closest friends. "Of course I'm not," she reassured them, "I just need some time to think things through. Time to decide how, exactly, I'm going to tell James how I'm feeling and finally get him to understand."

"Well good," Rachel stated, attempting to disguise her embarrassment at her outburst.

"Just don't give up on him yet, Lil. I think he'll make the effort. Especially if not doing so means losing you. He loves you too much to let that happen," Rachel said.

"I know," Lily accepted. "Look, I know it's still early, but do you two mind if I head back to my dorm and get some sleep? I'm so exhausted!"

"Of course we don't mind," Rachel replied.

"Yeah, go get some well deserved rest. Things will look better in the morning," Jess suggested.

"I sure hope so," Lily agreed, rising from Jess's bed and exiting their seventh year dorm room.

* * *

"Well then, my fellow Marauders. Let's start planning how we are going to win this duel with the Slytherins," Sirius began, "We need pranks, curses, the lot. Any ideas?" 

There was silence from the others.

"Oh, come on guys! Moony? Wormtail? Prongs?" he urged each one. "I'm starting to think that I'm the only one excited about kicking some Slytherin arse."

"Perhaps you are," Remus responded blankly.

"Well that's just great," Sirius moaned sarcastically. "What happened to our Marauder resilience? Prongs, I thought that you'd at least be as excited as I am. Maybe more so."

James remained silent. He couldn't get the argument with Lily out of his head. He didn't understand why trying to protect her was such a bad thing- especially after what Malfoy had attempted to do to her before Christmas. Girls were so confusing sometimes, and Lily was _some_ girl.

"Well, I'm not," James finally replied, "but I'm not going to back out of this and leave you to tackle Malfoy and his cronies on your own. I know Lily doesn't agree but I'll be there. I'm a Marauder after all, and Marauders stick together."

"I'll be there too," Remus confirmed, "but nothing too dirty. We just do enough to protect ourselves and to teach them a lesson."

"Fine," Sirius accepted. "How about you, Pete?"

"Er…erm," he stuttered.

"It'll be ok, Pete. I promise. We'll look out for each other, teach those slimy gits a lesson and then move on," James explained.

"Ok. Then I'm in too," Peter agreed.

"Good. Well, now that that's settled, we should start planning," Sirius continued.

"Maybe later," James responded.

"But…" Sirius whined

"Maybe later," Remus repeated more sternly.

"Fine. Then I'll just amuse myself with something else. Fancy a game of wizard's chess, Moony?" he inquired.

"Why not? I do enjoy watching the humiliation I bestow upon you when I continue to win," Remus answered leaving Peter in hysterics.

"A bit sure of yourself, mate," Sirius laughed, "How do you know I haven't been practicing?"

"Because the only thing you put any practice into is gir-" Remus joked.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Sirius shouted, "I have much more respect for the ladies than you think."

"We're just looking at the facts," James joked too, "and they kind of speak for themselves."

Peter and Remus continued to laugh as Sirius became more and more rattled.

"Shut it, Prongs. You're not exactly Romeo right now either," Sirius fired back.

James immediately shut up as his ears became red. He turned towards the window and stared out upon the school grounds.

"Sorry mate. I didn't mean to be so cold," Sirius apologised.

"It's fine. Forgotten," James accepted.

"He has got a point though, James. You've got to talk to Lily about this. Sort things out before it's too late and you're both left heart-broken. Explain what's happening."

James appeared thoughtful as Remus's words sank in. "I will do," he said, "Tomorrow."

"Ok. Glad that's sorted. Now let the games begin Remy my boy," Sirius tactlessly changed the subject.

As Remus and Sirius began to play, James took the opportunity to check that Peter was ok. It was bothering him how little time Peter had been spending with them as of late. What was he up to?

"Is everything ok, Pete?" he inquired.

"Er…yeah. Why d-d-do you ask?" Peter stuttered nervously.

James's concern grew at Peter's noticeable discomfort. "Just a feeling," he continued, "plus the fact that you haven't been around that much lately. You've not got a mystery girl hidden away somewhere have you?" he teased.

"No, nothing like that," Peter laughed in response.

"What is it then?" James urged his friend in an attempt to get him to open up further.

Peter looked a little worried at the question but answered all the same. "It's nothing serious. I've just been working in the library a lot. You know how difficult I find it to keep up with you three in class. I just got bogged down with homework which I didn't understand, and wanted to put extra hours in, you know, in the library," he explained.

"That's all it is then?" James asked finally.

"Yeah. Just me trying too hard," Peter replied.

James looked a little annoyed but also amused at Peter's innocence. "You know, you should have said something. We could have helped. I could have gone through some stuff with you. Whatever you were struggling with."

"I know, mate. Sorry for neglecting you guys. You're my best friends and I'd never jeopardize that," Peter said.

James thought he saw a flash of something in Peter's eyes as he spoke, something that left a feeling of uneasiness. But the feeling soon disappeared and he smiled, leading Peter back to the rest of the group.

* * *

The next morning, at breakfast, was rather more eventful than usual. Lily and James had said hello to each other in a more formal manner than either would have liked, but things were still strained between them. 

Both the guys and girls ate in a mixture of silence and hushed tones. Lily frequently noticed Sirius whispering to and nudging James in the ribs. They were obviously up to something again, but she didn't have the energy to confront them about it. Turning back to her porridge, she slowly lifted the spoon to her mouth and attempted to involve herself in Jess and Rachel's conversation about how good Sirius looked in the morning.

Not three minutes had passed before a scream was heard from a small Slytherin girl. More strangled cries erupted from the Slytherin table as, Lily saw in horror, their breakfast had transformed into fifteen varieties of deadly snakes.

The Ravenclaws, whose table was nearest to the Slytherin one, rose to their feet and backed away from the snakes as far as physically possible. The snakes were heading to the floor and who knew where they'd scurry to next.

Lily looked around, bewildered by the horrific situation, and anxious to see what Dumbledore would do to stop it. As she turned her head to locate the headmaster she spotted Sirius in silent laughter. James held a smug look across his face, Remus looked agitated and Peter a little startled- as usual. It was evident that they were behind this terrible prank- or at least Sirius and James had been.

"Enough!" Dumbledore bellowed. With a swift flick of his wand, the Great Hall was returned to its usual state of calm and the snakes returned to their previous breakfast form.

"A very amusing prank, I'm sure, to those responsible," Dumbledore addressed the school, "However, if we could all get back to civilly eating our breakfasts and try to regain some composure. I assure you, the perpetrators will not go unpunished."

Sirius looked to James for reassurance that Dumbledore would never work out that they had been behind the mayhem, but James looked too nervous to offer any comfort.

"A very mature thing to do, James," Lily spat. "You just can't grow up, can you?"

"Lily, I-" he began but was interrupted.

"You know, I'm starting to think we should make this break more permanent," Lily hissed, and then rose to her feet and fled from the hall.

"Damn," James said crossly.

"If you four gentlemen would like to see me in my office after finishing up here, I'd very much appreciate it," a much too familiar voice echoed above James's head. He turned to see Professor Dumbledore leaning over him slightly.

"But Sir, we didn'-," Sirius began.

"Mr Black," Dumbledore stated, "I think I have come to know the mark of the Marauders only too well. My office. When you're ready." He turned back to the head's table and returned to his seat.

"Well, looks like we've really done it this time," James groaned.

* * *

The day had gone excruciatingly slowly for both James and Lily. For James it was due to the fact that Lily was mad at him and he now had a month of detention to complete (not to mention the deep disappointment Dumbledore clearly felt towards his rash actions). And for Lily, because she was still mad at James and terribly worried about him- especially after this latest trouble-making scheme. 

Having avoided him for most of the day, she could no longer, as it was time to do their nightly patrol. They met silently in the Gryffindor common room and began what was to be a long task.

The awkward silence was becoming almost unbearable after fifteen minutes of patrolling the hallways. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened and no students had been caught out of bed. James couldn't stand to remain silent a moment longer.

"Lily," he whispered cautiously.

She gave no indication of having heard him but quickened her pace- letting him know that she had indeed heard him, but was still too angry to respond.

"Lily," he tried again, but there was still no audible answer.

Instead, she maintained her speed, folded her arms tightly across her chest and hung her head to avoid his penetrating gaze.

"Lily," James almost shouted, reaching an arm out to spin her round.

"What!" Lily demanded testily.

James was taken aback but her sudden aggressiveness.

"I'm sorry," he continued, sincerely.

She gave him a look as if to say 'Oh, really?'

"We shouldn't have pranked the Slytherins like that," he admitted, "but we wanted to let Malfoy, Snape, Lestrange and the rest of those evil serpents know that we won't back down."

Lily took a deep breath and sighed. "So you're going to go through with this duel then?" she asked, resignedly.

"I have to. I can't let them think they've won, Lil. If they think they have the upper hand things will get worse. They'll come after us again and again," he paused, "they'll come after you."

Lily looked directly into his eyes and asked, "How do you know? They've been hassling me for almost six and a half years, James. But nothing has really ever come of their threats."

"So you've forgotten what Malfoy tried to do to you before Christmas!" James shouted.

"Of course not," Lily cried, alarmed by the horrific memories of that night as they flooded back into her consciousness. She still had nightmares about it. Even now. "I know that he would have hurt me if I hadn't been able to defend myself. But James, you can't just assume that he'll try it again. Defend me when I'm being attacked, please, but don't attack when I don't need defending."

James understood what she was saying but still felt that putting the Slytherins in their place was the only way he could protect himself and the people he loved.

"I'm sorry, Lily," he explained, "but we have to show them that they can't get away with messing with us. As Marauders we promised to always be there for each other, and for those that we care about. I'll be damned if I ever let them have another chance to even try and hurt you. I'd rather be one step ahead. Don't you see? If we beat them now, then we may never have to worry about our safety around scum like them again."

"Don't be so naïve. What makes you think you'll even be able to deter them?"

"It's a chance we'll have to take," James replied nervously.

"James," Lily all but sobbed, getting more and more frustrated with his stubbornness.

"Please Lily, I don't want to lose you," James replied, wrapping her into his arms.

"Jam-" she started, but was prevented from uttering another word as James's mouth covered hers in an exhilarating kiss. His hands gently grabbed her hips as he moulded her body to his. How could she possible argue with him when he was doing this? Silencing her this way. How cold she even think straight? He must've known what kissing her would have done to her. He must've known all the fight would leave her body the moment his lips met hers. What could she do but kiss him back?

Eventually, she regained her senses and gently pushed herself away from his embrace. "We still have a lot to sort out…and patrolling to finish," she stated, turning to continue walking down the corridor.

"Ok," James agreed, "Discuss away."

"I'm still mad at you for getting into this situation," she explained, "I'm worried sick about you getting hurt. And I still think you need to GROW UP."

"Duly noted," James said with a playful smile. "I'm sorry for getting into this situation, but not for wanting to defend you. I promise I won't let myself get hurt. I've got everything to live for after all."

He grabbed her hand as they continued to walk together and she offered him a small smile.

"And maybe I do still need to grow up," he continued, "but that's where I need you to help me. So…I think we should forget this whole stupid break thing and be boyfriend and girlfriend again."

Lily looked a little annoyed. "It wasn't stupid, James, it was necessary. But I agree. I hate being on a break just as much as you do. So, let's just say that the break is off. If things get bad again, then we'll talk it through. Promise?"

"Promise," James stated.

"Also," Lily joked, "I'd just like to confirm that you do, indeed, need me."

"That I do," he agreed, softly squeezing her hand.

"Could you just do me one thing, James?" Lily asked. "At least try to change. I mean, after this mess is sorted out, could you at least try to stay out of trouble? For me?"

"I'll do anything for you, Lil. If I can, I'll do it," he replied.

"Thank you. That's all I wanted," she revealed.

James smiled as they walked back to their dorm rooms. He was so relieved to know that she was still safely _his_ Lily. And, although she wasn't supportive of the Marauder's conflict with certain Slytherin students, at least she was accepting of his decision. That was enough.

"I love you, Lil."

"I love you too."

The next morning, Lily awoke to find an owl tapping on her window. There was a black envelope tied to its right talon. Confused, she opened the window to retrieve the letter. Once the letter was detached from its body, the owl hastily flew away.

'How strange,' Lily thought, 'I've never received post like this before.'

She cautiously opened the envelope at its blood-red seal and unfolded the parchment within.

The letter shook within her hands as she tried to absorb the message laid before her. Why would someone send this? What kind of psychopaths would send something like this?

It read…

"_Control your boyfriend, mudblood, or your filthy muggle parents might be next!"_

AN: Yay! Another chapter finally complete. I managed to find the time to sit down and finish it off. And i'm so glad that i did. I'm fairly satisfied with it, although i still think it could have been better. I'm really unsure as to whether i've been spelling Moony properly. Is it Moony, or Mooney? I'm way too lazy to check. Anyway, thanks for all of the reviews so far. Please keep them coming! I find them really useful and inspiring. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will stick with me for the next one. Thank you so much.

VIP XX

Review shout-outs...

1) darkdestiny2000- Thanks for sticking with me. I've always liked to think that Remus has the most common sense out of all the Marauders. Without him, i'm sure they would've all ended up in a lot more trouble. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations.

2) tennisjock- no break-ups. I promise. At least for now anyway, lol. I hope you like this chapted too.

3) Chemz- welcome back to fanfic. Good luck on your new story. I hope mine is entertaining you :). Keep me informed about your new project.


	4. Can You See?

**Disclaimer:** All characters, locations and events taken from or related to the Harry Potter series are the exclusive property of J.K. Rowling.

**Author's Note:** I am so sincerely sorry for the length of time in which it has taken for me to complete this chapter. You'll be glad to know that now I've got the free time I've been waiting months for I'm making the most of it and chapter 5 is already in the works. This was, at first, a really difficult chapter for me to write but after the first few hundred words I just got carried away. So I hope you like its length. Please read and review and let me know what you think of the direction the story is taking. If you're still out there readers then thanks for sticking by this story. I promise that I intend to finish it. All the best. VIP x

Chapter 4: Can you see?

_The cloud was thick all around, suffocating her wherever she turned. She had to go on. She had to save them._

A smell like no other filled the air, matching the intensity of the fog. It wasn't a pleasant smell or an unpleasant one. It was just there.

_Her heart racing, Lily walked faster in what she hoped was the direction of her house. Hearing hurried voices ahead, she picked up her pace. Surely she wasn't too late! She couldn't be!_

_Running as fast as she physically could she forced her way through the thick fog surrounding her and finally reached the front gate. Without a moments hesitation she drew her wand._

_Her knees were trembling as her heart hammered in her chest, resonating inside her head. Lily approached the front door, raising her wand ever higher, but was startled by…_

_GREEN_

_Too late. It was too late. She couldn't save them. They'd died without her having a chance to save them. Her parents were dead and it was all her fault._

"No," Lily screamed as she woke, sweating heavily and tangled in her bed sheets.

Her breathing mirrored that of her dream-self, for a dream was all it had been, but the feelings awoken in her were all too real. The very thought of losing her parents, of their murder, was almost as unbearable as the event itself would be.

Losing them without having the chance to say goodbye, when they still had so much life to live, made Lily feel guilty for failing to prevent something that hadn't even happened yet.

She had never felt safer to realise that she was still in the safety of the school grounds than when she'd awoken from her nightmare. Under the protection of Dumbledore, the only wizard that Voldemort feared, Lily knew that he couldn't harm her here. But her parents weren't in Hogwarts. They were miles away in a small muggle village where evil wizards could roam freely and kill at will. Her parents weren't protected and that's what terrified her.

She reached for the letter she'd received the night before and decided to re-read it. Her eyes repeatedly focused on the words 'might be next'. It was hard to know how seriously to take the threat but Lily felt that she couldn't afford to take any risks. Not when her parents' lives were at stake. She had to do what they wanted, whoever _they _might be. She had to make sure that James didn't get into any more unnecessary trouble.

Rising from her tangled sheets, Lily placed the letter into a hidden compartment under her desk to keep it away from prying eyes. She had to handle this herself if her parents were going to stand a chance.

In order to conceal the arrival of the letter and what it said from her friends, and more importantly from James, she'd have to go on as normal, school work and all. It was going to be a difficult day.

* * *

"Hey," James greeted Lily as he sat down beside her for breakfast. "Are we ok?"

"We're fine, James," Lily replied.

"Good," James responded laying an affectionate kiss on her forehead.

It was hard to disguise the turmoil going on within her head but she was determined that the note had to be kept a secret from all of her friends. So long as they steered clear of the Slytherins for the remainder of the year, and didn't make any new enemies, then her parents would be safe.

"Are you ok, Lil?" Rachel asked her as she took the seat opposite her best friend. Clearly she wasn't doing as well as she'd thought at disguising her true emotions.

Startled, Lily asked, "Who? Me? Yeah I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

You just look anxious about something," Rachel explained.

Lily noticed James watching her intently. He'd clearly taken note of Rachel's observations and was checking Lily himself to see if she'd been correct. Lily smiled widely in a desperate attempt to maintain her secret. She'd only been in the presence of her friends for thirty minutes and already cracks were starting to show.

"Honestly, I'm fine," Lily repeated. "Seriously guys, I'm good. Great even," she elaborated when they still appeared unconvinced.

Too further convince James she gently squeezed his hand under the table. It seemed to work as James smiled at her and turned back to his breakfast.

This was going to be a lot harder than she'd thought. Lying to anyone was difficult but lying to James was almost impossible.

* * *

"The homework for today class will be to practice transfiguring your partner into an animal of your choice. Please, please, nothing too dangerous or fragile. We'll demonstrate any successes at the start of the next lesson. That will be all. You're excused," Professor McGonagall outlined.

At least something was going well for Lily. Ever since she'd started being tutored by James her grades in Transfiguration were rapidly improving and she was much more confident when transfiguring the human body.

They'd just had their latest papers returned to them and Lily had been awarded an excellent grade.

"Well done, Lils," James congratulated her. "You really deserved that after all the work you put in."

"Don't you mean after all the work _we _put in?" Lily joked.

"Well, maybe I helped a little," James said modestly.

It was remarkable how much James had changed over the past six months. Back then it would have been a cold day in hell when Lily would have ever described James Potter as modest.

"Actually, your input was insignificant. You didn't really help at all. I do deserve this grade," Lily teased.

James smirked at her. He knew exactly what she was up to. "Well, actually, I helped quite a lot. In fact, you could say I got you that grade. Therefore, it's certainly safe to say that you couldn't have done it without me," James joked back.

"There you are," Lily simply stated.

James was quickly confused. "Huh?"

"I said there you are" Lily repeated.

"I know what you said, sweetie, I'm just wondering why you said it. You didn't accidentally transfigure your normally astute mind into a sponge now, did you?" he mocked.

"No," Lily replied, "My meaning was just that there's the James Potter I know and love. The incredibly arrogant one."

"I am not arrogant," James replied in mock indignation.

"You are too," Lily laughed back. He was so adorable when he played with her like this.

"Am not," James defended himself.

Lily stopped laughing and grabbed James' hand as they walked into the school grounds and headed towards their usual spot by the side on the lake.

"But seriously, James. Thank you so much for helping me out. Not just in Transfiguration either but in all my crap. You've been amazing," Lily revealed.

James continued their earlier teasing, "Well, you know, it just comes naturally."

Lily shoved him playfully before responding; "You can cut the arrogant act now, James. I much prefer the real you."

"What makes you think you've ever even met him?" James laughed.

Lily could tell he was in no mood to be serious. It was all that Marauder energy in him and that was one of the things she loved about him. He just couldn't be serious sometimes and that was exactly why she didn't want to tell him about the letter. She didn't want to be the one that wiped that adorable smile off his handsome face.

"I know you more than you think James Potter; the good and the bad. But I'm sure you'll be glad to know that the good far outweighs the bad," she explained.

James pulled her waist into his arms and turned her towards him. "You know, I'm really glad to know that," he replied and then leant down to kiss her.

* * *

Sirius raced towards the spot under the tree where James and the other Marauders were entertaining Lily, Rachel and Jess before the end of lunch.

"My fellow troublemakers," he began, "and lovely ladies. How are you this fine afternoon?"

"Fine, thank you, Sirius," Jess answered. "Why are you racing around as if a dementor was hot on your tail?"

"I'd watch that tail, Padfoot," James joked.

"Oh, I just need to have a very important conversation with the boys here," Sirius explained.

"What are you up to?" Rachel asked suspiciously.

Sirius fluttered his eyelashes in an attempt to look innocent. Instead he just looked womanly. "Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about."

Lily could tell that Sirius was planning something. She'd seen that glint in his eyes a thousand times before. It was the same glint he had when 'teaching' Snape a lesson. It was the same glint he got when pranking the Slytherins in the Great Hall. But worst of all, it was the same glint he got when all four Marauders were banding together to cause mayhem. Which could only mean that James was involved too.

"Is it something that I should worry _my_ 'pretty little head about'?" Lily demanded.

Sirius turned to face her at her abrupt words and uptight manner. "Of course not Lilykins! Why would my behaviour ever worry you," he joked. But Lily was in no mood to be laughed at.

"Is it something that I should be worrying about, James?" she re-directed the question to her boyfriend.

James looked shocked that she was suddenly rounding on him. As far as he was concerned he'd just been sitting there minding his own business when Sirius had come leaping across the grounds, as excited as a kid in an oversized sweet shop.

"You shouldn't ever worry about anything, Lils. Not so long as I'm around to prevent it," James smiled at her sincerely. "What's bothering you anyway? You've been quiet all lunch."

"What's bothering me is that my boyfriend can't be honest with me? Tell me what you're up to," she demanded hotly.

James held up his hands defensively as Lily rose angrily to her feet. Cautiously he rose to meet her. "Look Lily, I'm not entirely sure what I've done to upset you here. What is it I'm supposed to be planning?"

"Yeah," Sirius jumped in, "and if you find a spare moment, I'd quite like to know what my crimes against you are too."

Lily looked from James to Sirius and then back again. How could she have been so snappy with them? They hadn't even done anything yet. How could she know if they were planning something, and even if they were, it didn't necessarily mean that it would have anything to do with the Slytherins?

"I'm so sorry," she explained, "I don't know what came over me. I'm just so tired right now, you know, with school work and everything, and I guess I just thought you were planning to cause trouble again and I didn't want you to."

James walked towards her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and quietly asked, "Are you sure that's all that's bothering you?"

"Yeah," Lily answered, averting her gaze from his, "Just tiredness and stress. It'll pass. I'm just sorry that I took it out on you. I really didn't mean to. Will you forgive me?"

"Always," James answered.

"Sirius?" Lily said.

Sirius attempted to shoot her an evil glare but couldn't prevent a broad grin from escaping. "Of course, Lilykins. You are my favourite red head after all. I couldn't stay mad at you forever."

"Well thank you," Lily replied gratefully.

"Let's head to class," Remus interrupted, "This lunch period has warn out its welcome if you ask me."

"Agreed," Rachel said hurriedly as she shot up to walk back to the castle with him.

* * *

Later that night the Marauders had gathered together to discuss the final arrangement for their duel with Malfoy, Snape and the rest of their cronies. It had been difficult to find a quiet moment but now that they had one they were going to take advantage of it.

"So," Sirius began, "as I was trying to say before, I bumped into Snape earlier. Or should I say the jackass bumped in to me. Anyway, there's been a change of plan. The duel's now tomorrow evening so we need to plan tactics immediately and we need to plan them quick."

"Tomorrow?" Remus responded severely. "What did you agree to that for?"

"I thought it was best to get it out of the way. They deserve a good ass kicking. What kind of compassionate human beings would we be if we prolonged their wait," Sirius explained.

James sighed before saying, "He called you a coward when you refused to bring the date forward, didn't he?"

Sirius looked away apprehensively before mumbling, "Maybe."

"Sirius," James moaned, "what possessed you to let him manipulate you like that? Now we've got less than twenty-four hours to make sure we don't end up dead."

"Calm down mate," Sirius urged him, "We can take them. We always come out on top."

"Usually we do because usually we're prepared," Remus argued.

"We'll be prepared this time," Sirius stated, "We just need to prepare rapidly."

"We're all going to die," Peter whined.

"Wormtail, don't be so dramatic. We're not going to die. If the four of us stand together we'll wipe the greasy smirks off their faces and be back in bed by midnight," Sirius responded confidently.

"Let's start planning then," James encouraged them, "We need to come up with spells that will take immediate effect with as much force as possible."

"But nothing that will cause too much damage or result in our expulsion," Remus added. "As much as I may sound like Lily, I'm not ashamed to say that I happen to enjoy being a student here at Hogwarts."

"Agreed," James and Sirius responded in unison.

Peter was remaining uncomfortably silent. It was clear that he wasn't as confident about the duel as the other boys appeared to be.

"It'll be ok, Pete," James said on noticing that his friend was so quiet. "We'll protect you."

"I'm not afraid," Peter bellowed, "Why do you always think that I'm scared. I can defend myself. I don't need you to defend me all of the time!"

"Chill out man," Sirius began, "What's got into you? Your temper's nearly as vicious as Evans'."

"Hey," James defended his girlfriend, "She apologised for that."

"For which I am fully aware and have accepted graciously," Sirius confirmed, "but it doesn't stop her having a temper."

"Pete," James responded to his outburst, "I'm sorry if we've made you feel like we don't believe in your magical abilities. We do. Do you think you'd be a Marauder if you weren't capable of it? In fact, I think you have a lot of hidden talent and you'll use it when the times right."

"Hopefully that will be tomorrow night," Sirius sighed.

Remus brought them back onto the task at hand. "Right. So, where were we? Ok, spells. What have we got?"

* * *

_She was racing through a white corridor, a dull glow ebbing away in the distance. Is this where she'd find them? Could she still save them?_

_She brought up her hand to shield her eyes as she approached the light._

"_You can't help us Lily. Go back. You can't help us"._

_She kept walking. She had to._

"_Lily, go back. It's too late. Go back."_

"_No. Mum, I won't leave you. I can save you," Lily said anxiously searching for the source of the voice._

"_You can't help them," said a second voice, a cold, snake-like drawl. "You can't save them little girl. They're already dead."_

_In place of the glowing light were two hovering, deep, red eyes. They were the most threatening, evil and malicious eyes that Lily had ever had the misfortune of looking into._

"_Run," the voice shouted as the eyes grew and rapidly sped towards her._

"Argh," Lily screamed, awakening to find herself frantically panting for breath.

The red eyes had disappeared only to be replaced by the eyes of twenty startled students and a surprised professor Slughorn.

"Miss Evans, are you quite alright?" the professor inquired.

It took Lily a few seconds to establish exactly what had just happened before she replied. "Oh yes Professor. I'm terribly sorry. I must have fallen asleep. Excuse me for my rudeness."

"It's not like you to be so restless during my classes. Is something bothering you?" he inquired further.

"Nothing Professor," Lily responded quickly, "I've just been struggling to sleep recently. I guess it all caught up with me."

"Well, I'd hate to see your perfect grades slipping due to a small case of insomnia. Make sure you go and see Madam Pomfrey to get a mild dose of sleeping draft."

"Yes Professor," Lily replied obediently.

* * *

As soon as the class had ended Lily rushed towards the hospital wing. Professor Slughorn's suggestion to get a sleeping draft hadn't been a bad one. If it meant that she'd stop snapping at her friends then it was worth taking in her opinion. It would also mean that she wouldn't have to see those cold red eyes ever again.

James knew exactly where Lily had gone so hastily after class. He headed off to meet her at the hospital wing to see if she was ok.

"Lily," he called as she left Madam Pomfrey, the required medication in her hand.

"James," she replied, surprised that he'd come to meet her. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to see if you were ok," he explained. "What happened back there? You know, in class."

"I just fell asleep and had a bad dream."

"You just fell asleep and had a bad dream? You don't do that Lily Evans. You never fall asleep in class. Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked her gently.

"Nothing," she replied defiantly.

"It most certainly is not nothing. Tell me what's going on?" he demanded.

"Nothing. I told you, I'm fine. Just leave it, James," she begged.

James could see the fear in her eyes. He couldn't understand why she was shutting him out. Didn't she trust him?

'Lily, please. Let me help you."

Lily sighed in frustration, "I don't need your help, James. It was just a bad dream. Everybody has them."

"Yeah, well you're not everybody, Lily. You don't fall asleep in your favourite class and you don't have nightmares that make you scream out in pain," he argued.

"How do you know, huh? How do you know what I do and don't do? We've only been dating a few months. You can't know everything about someone in so short a space of time!" Lily shouted, desperately trying to defend her secret.

James kept his tone calm. "I've known you for six years, Lily. But it feels like I've known you a lifetime. I know it's not possible to know everything about someone but I think I can tell when you're not being yourself. Something's hurting you. Please tell me what it is."

"You know what? Maybe you do know me well, but I know you better. I know that you and Sirius are the biggest troublemakers in the school no matter how much you try to 'change' for me. Do you think I'm stupid? I know I shouldn't have snapped at you yesterday but you were planning something weren't you?"

"Lily-"

"Tell me what it is and then maybe I'll tell you what's bothering me," she bargained with him.

"I can't tell you, Lil, I'm sorry. You're better off not knowing," he reasoned with her.

Lily looked hurt. She was sorry that he still couldn't be honest with her but his lack of trust in her had done her a favour this time if it meant that she didn't have to tell him about the letter.

"Then I guess we'll both be left in the dark," she concluded. With a sad smile she turned away from him and didn't stop walking until she was sure he'd left her alone.

* * *

"Let's go guys," Sirius said.

The four Marauders were ready to head off to the room of requirement to begin their duel with their Slytherin enemies. It was probably a dumb idea but they couldn't back out now without losing their Gryffindor pride. They'd come up with a plan of attack, which would suit their purposes perfectly. They aimed to disorient their enemies, give them minor injuries, knock them out, send them to the hospital wing and then get the hell out of there.

"Everyone ready?" James asked.

"Uh huh," Sirius responded.

"Yep," came Remus' reply.

"I left my wand in my trunk," Peter explained, "I'll meet you there."

"Wormtail," Sirius moaned, "Can't you ever get one thing right?"

"Padfoot," James warned. He knew how fragile Peter's ego was, especially after his outburst the night before. "Ok, Pete, but be quick. We can't wait for you forever."

"I'll be right behind you," Peter assured them.

The three of them set off down the long corridors of the school under the disguise of James' invisibility cloak. They'd left Peter with the Marauder's map so that he could follow them without getting caught by the school's caretaker.

On their arrival at the room of requirement they boys walked past the entrance three times waiting for the door to appear. When they entered there was no one in sight but a duelling arena was set up with a range of combating weapons strung across the walls. They were dangerous weapons, certainly nothing that the Marauders dreamt of using in this particular duel. Not if they wanted to remain in the school and stay out of Azkaban.

"I don't like this," James began.

"Me neither," Remus agreed. "They should be here by now. And what's with all the freaky weapons. We could never have conjured up a room that contained those. The Slytherin's must have had something to do with it."

"And where's Peter," Sirius began. "I know you think we've been hard on him but the lil' guy just doesn't pull his weight sometimes, you know? Sometimes I wonder if he'd be better staying a mouse and giving up being a man altogether."

"I don't know ok. He said he'd be here and I believe that he will," James replied.

Several minutes passed and still nothing. The Slytherins had still not turned up and neither had Peter.

"Those cowards have given up. They forfeit the duel and we win," Sirius bragged.

"Come on, let's just go," Remus suggested.

James was feeling unnerved by the situation. There was something deeply disturbing about it all. Why wasn't Peter here? Had his nerves finally gotten the better of him? And what about the Slytherins? They definitely weren't the type to back down out of a fight.

"I don't like this at all," James repeated.

The next moment there was a creaking noise and dust began to descend from the ceiling.

"What was that?" Sirius asked.

"Get out!" James shouted. "Both of you get out of here!"

The weapons on the wall began to rattle as the hooks holding them in place came crashing to the ground. Axes, swords and knives began whizzing around the room, targeting the three boys in their path.

"Get behind that cabinet," Remus bellowed, "We'll defend ourselves from there".

They raced towards the cabinet only to be hit with tiny shards of glass as the cabinet's doors smashed. They positioned themselves behind the wooden framework.

"They planned this those bastards. I can't believe they'd stoop so low," James stated.

"They're probably Death Eaters, Prongs. Of course they'd stoop this low. They want us dead," Sirius said exasperatedly.

"Look, we have to get out of here," Remus said. "We need to plan how we'll fight all these weapons off and then get to the door."

Just as Remus had finished his speech a large pick axe flew towards them only to collide with the hollow cabinet and reveal their hiding place.

"I think we need to go sooner rather than later," Sirius whined.

"Agreed," replied James.

"Right here's what we'll do. James you deal with the flying daggers, Sirius you take the swords and I'll deal with that bloody axe!" Remus commanded them. "Just don't stop until you reach the door and we're out of here."

"Ok, let's do it," Sirius stated.

They leaped out from behind the now shattered, halved cabinet and raced towards the direction of the door. The spells they used to ward of the weapons were only effective to a certain extent. No matter how many times they pushed them away the kept on coming back attempting to slice and dice the Marauders into tiny, lifeless pieces.

"Ouch," James hissed as one dagger managed to avoid his rebound spell and slice a small gash into his upper arm.

"Are you ok mate?" Sirius asked just a foot in front of James. He wasn't tackling the swords much better.

"I'll be fine, just keep concentrating."

"I don't think I can jeep this up much longer," Remus began. "This axe is just too powerful."

James turned to see how Remus was getting on but the daggers were demanding all of his attention. What he saw however was beyond worrying. Remus was pinned to the ground by the axe, too weak to continue fighting. If only it hadn't been a full moon last week. Remus wasn't at full strength yet. He was still too weak to defend himself fully. His arms dropping to rest by his sides Remus looked up wide-eyed as the axe raised itself higher ready to descend onto his neck. James didn't hesitate. He shot the daggers coming towards him away for as long as he could, grabbed one of the swords attacking Sirius and struggled to place it in front of Remus' chest just before the axe met its target.

James closed his eyes on impact, afraid that he's been too late. He opened them slowly to see that Remus' head remained safely attached to his body. Then why was he unconscious? James looked down the length of Remus' body and saw that the axe, although unsuccessful in hitting its initial target, has embedded its edge into Remus' side. Blood was pooling out everywhere and James didn't know what to do.

The bewitched weapons suddenly dropped to the ground around them. Sirius looked to James and realised what had happened.

"Holy S-"

"We have to get him to the hospital wing, NOW!" James screamed.

"Try and stop the bleeding with something," Sirius suggested.

James untied his cloak and stuffed it into the thin but deep cut in Remus' side. "Help me carry him."

When they reached the hospital wing Madam Pomfrey was already awake having just finished checking on the patients already staying there.

"Oh my," she started, "what on earth happened here?"

"You have to help him. He's bleeding to death. Do something!" James shouted.

"Calm down, Mr Potter. I'll do what I can. Just please try not to wake the other patients."

The boys lay Remus onto the bed and allowed Madam Pomfrey to assess the wound.

"Ah, I see what happened here. An axe was it?" she inquired.

"Well…yes," Sirius replied. How could she tell just by looking at the wound?

"How many times do I have to tell you boys not to play with medieval weaponry? It's a highly dangerous thing to do however 'cool' you may think you are?" she scolded them.

"We weren't…" Sirius began but James interrupted him.

"Shhh," he said.

"And after hours as well," Madam Pomfrey continued as she worked on Remus. "Don't worry lads. The wound may look bad but the axe didn't penetrate any of his vital organs. It's really not that bad. He's lost quite a lot of blood and will need to stay in here for a week to recover properly but he'll live."

"Thank Merlin," James sighed with relief.

"I wouldn't relax just yet Mr Potter. I'm sure Dumbledore will have a lot to say to yourself and Mr Black when he arrives within the next few minutes. And I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to relax later, during the hours of detention you'll undoubtedly be working through."

AN: Please REVIEW :)


	5. Secrets Revealed

Discalimer: All character, loactions and events linked to or taken directly from the _Harry Potter_ series belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: Here's the next chapter and it's up in record timing to make up for my laziness over the past three months. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for all your comments so far. They've been really useful. VIP x.

Chapter 5- Secrets Revealed

Lily couldn't sleep. She'd not taken Madam Pomfrey's medicine just yet. Instead she'd been concerned about James after the argument that they'd had. She'd gone to see him in his bedroom to offer some semblance of an apology, well as much as she could without revealing the truth about the letter anyway, but she'd got there to find him out of bed which just made her angrier.

Looking down at the note she'd received Lily pondered the threat for what seemed the hundredth time. She'd been staring at it dejectedly for the past half hour.

Pacing the room, she attempted to come up with a solution. If James was going to behave so recklessly, as he was undoubtedly doing right now, then she'd have to take greater steps to stop him from getting himself and her parents into more trouble.

The clock struck twelve breaking Lily out of her reverie. She finally decided to take the sleeping draft and hoped for a good night's sleep.

* * *

"A month of detention with McGonagall," Sirius moaned. 

"Be grateful it's not longer," James replied.

"Sorry mate," Sirius responded, "We really messed up didn't we. If I'd known, you know, what was going to happen, I never would have dragged you two into it."

"I know," James answered quietly.

The meeting with Dumbledore had been thoroughly unpleasant. Not because the old headmaster had been angry but even worse because he'd been disappointed. It tore James apart to think that he'd behaved in such a way that had made one of the greatest wizards in the world think badly of him. And another thing, what in the world was Lily going to think after he'd promised her that he'd try to stop picking fights with the Slytherins.

"I feel terrible," James began, "We've really done it this time, Padfoot. Remus is lucky to be alive, Dumbledore is disgusted with us and I don't even want to think about how Lily will respond."

"Don't think about it until you have to mate," Sirius suggested, "Things can't really get any worse anyway, can they?"

"When Lily's angry at me you'd be surprised how much worse things can get," James explained.

"I know she's got a temper Prongs, but she loves you and I don't think she could hate you forever, even if she tried".

"I hope you're right," James said sullenly.

Sirius smiled gently and said, "I hope I'm right too, for once."

"Well I guess I better get some sleep before we have to face the music. Are you ok checking on Pete?" James asked.

"Oh sure, I'll happily _check on_ that little weasel," Sirius replied his voice rising aggressively.

"Go easy on him! He probably just got scared. You know how he is sometimes," James tried to deter him.

"Do I ever. As much as I love the little guy he can't help but be a pain in my ass sometimes," Sirius stated.

"Love and hate Sirius are often two inseparable things," James explained, "Anyway, night Padfoot."

"Night Prongs."

* * *

Lily awoke feeling refreshed at the peaceful night's sleep she'd had but her anxiety returned as soon as she remembered the reason for having had to take the sleeping draft in the first place. 

If James really knew that she needed him to stay out of trouble then he'd stop. Surely he wouldn't need to know why she needed him to stay out of trouble. It was time that she stressed to him how important it was for him to leave Malfoy and Snape alone; no matter how provoked they made him or what they said about her. So they called her a mudbood. So what? If she could ignore it then James could too.

Having heard nothing from her parents for a while now, Lily decided to write home. She told her parents of Hogwarts and the way the buds were returning to the trees after the winter frost. She mentioned the improvement in her grades and how she was heading in the direction of passing her NEWTS with flying colours. She even told them about all of her responsibilities as head girl. Although it would probably bore them, she knew that they were proud of the way she handled the responsibility.

She didn't tell them about the rows she'd been having with James. Or the stress that she'd been under with schoolwork. And she most definitely didn't tell them about the letter she'd received and the horrendous nightmares that they'd conjured up.

It was hard omitting details about her life from her parents but Lily didn't want to worry them. It was easier not to tell them. That way she could try and forget that any on this was even happening.

Closing the letter with her love and best wishes Lily sealed the envelope and dressed for the day ahead. If she wanted to get to the Owlery before breakfast she'd have to be quick.

James had been sitting in the common room that he shared with Lily since he'd returned to their dorm the night before. He'd managed to sleep for a few hours after dosing off, staring at the amber flames of the fire, but the torment of the previous nights events kept stirring him out of his dreams.

The thought of telling Lily just what had happened last night, especially his part in it, made him sick to the stomach. She was going to hate him when she found out that he'd deliberately gone out to fight with the Slytherins when she'd specifically asked him not to.

Their relationship was strong though, and he knew he'd made a huge mistake, so hopefully she'd forgive him. If she didn't he'd have lost the most important person in his life.

It was amazing how quickly she'd become just that. Although he'd wanted to date her for the majority of six years it had only ever really been a crush. Now that he was dating her he realised just how much he loved her. He'd do anything for her. He knew that now. And if it meant backing off from the Slytherins for good, no matter what they said to disgrace Lily, then he would. All he wanted was for her to be happy.

Her light footsteps shook him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see her tying her cloak around her neck. He wondered where she was going at such an early hour.

"Lily," James said, startling her a little.

"Oh, hi James. I didn't see you there," she answered a little miserably.

James looked towards the girl he loved and saw that she was hurting, probably because of the argument yesterday. His most recent news would only make matters worse but he had to tell her.

"Lily, can I talk to you for a minute?" he hesitantly asked her. It was horrible when things were so awkward between them.

Lily shook her head 'no'. "I'm sorry but I have to send this letter home before breakfast. I don't have long to get to the Owlery and back," she explained.

"It's important," James stressed.

It must have been the desperation in his voice, or perhaps the sadness in his puppy-dog eyes but Lily took note and paused. She sighed frustratingly before agreeing to hear what he had to say.

"You might want to sit down for this," he suggested. She took him up on his offer but kept a fair distance away from him.

"What is it?"

He was just about to answer her when he noticed she was looking at his neck. He'd forgotten that the shattered glass had scratched dozens of cuts into his skin.

"James where did you get those?" Lily asked. She demonstrated her concern by gingerly reaching out her hand to touch the wounds.

"That's what I need to talk to you about," he paused. "Look, I know that you asked me not to and I promise you that I intended to do exactly as you wished but Sirius needed me. He would have gone on alone without me. Remus would have backed him as he always does, and Pete…well I'm not entirely sure about Pete. But the point is that they could have got hurt without me and I couldn't let that happen, no more than I could ever let anything happen to you."

"James what are you talking about?" Lily pushed further, his initial revelation confusing her.

"Last night we arranged a duel with the Slytherins," James began. He looked at her but continued explaining before she could scold him. "I'm sorry we did ok, and not just because Remus got badly injured and we were led into a trap that could of got us all killed, but because I let you down. I promise you Lily that I will never intentionally let you down again."

Lily closed her mouth and looked around the room as though searching for answers or some sort of response to what she'd just learnt.

"Is he ok?" she whispered.

"Who, Remus? Yeah, he'll be fine, no thanks to me. He's in the hospital wing and will be for the next week."

"And you, are you ok?" Lily asked.

James could tell she was worried about him, even through her disappointment. He couldn't believe he'd disappointed two of the most influential people in his life in the space of twenty-four hours.

"I just got these grazes and a nasty cut on my arm but I'll be fine," he revealed.

Lily looked towards the rip on his shirtsleeve. How could she not have seen it before? "Let me see that," she said whilst pointing towards the tear.

James gently peeled his shirt back to reveal a bloody wound.

"It could become infected if I don't clean it. I'll just get something from the first aid kit in the bathroom."

She rose to leave but James grabbed her hand. "Lily, wait for a little while longer. I need to talk to you," he begged.

Lily sat back down and listened to what James wanted to say but her gaze kept reverting back to the wound on his arm.

"Lily, I need to know what you're thinking about all of this. Can you tell me?"

Lily took a deep breath and began. "I'm disappointed in you James. I'm also disappointed in Sirius and Remus. Those Slytherins led you straight into a trap, the details of which I'm still unaware of, and you stupidly didn't think twice about questioning their motives. Also, I'm hurt that you didn't do what I asked. I had reason to ask that of you, James. And although you say you love me and never want to hurt me, by ignoring a simple request how can I trust that. I know that you're loyal to your friends, but if the four of you all made an effort to stay out of trouble then none of this would have happened and we wouldn't be having all of these problems right now."

"I know and I'm sorry," James responded, hanging his head in disgust at his own behaviour.

"What does this mean for us?" James asked her but all that she could think about was, 'What does this mean for my parents?' If the Slytherins were behind the letter would they take their revenge on Lily's parents? They'd beaten the Marauders this time so maybe her mum and dad were safe for the time being. But she needed to know for sure. She had to get to her owl as soon as possible and send her letter to them. The sooner it was sent the sooner she'd get a reply.

She looked at James and then answered him, "Well I don't want to break up if that's what you're thinking. But it's not like you don't deserve it you big idiot." She smiled at him and then continued, "but I need a little bit of space. And before you ask, no, this isn't a break again. Just let me be on my own a little bit to clear my thoughts and I'll come and find you when I'm ready to deal with all that's just happened."

"Ok," James accepted. What else could he do?

* * *

Remus, although is some pain, was enjoying the attention that being an invalid had afforded him. Jess, Rachel and Lily were currently entertaining him, whilst they waited for afternoon classes to begin. James and Sirius were starting the first day of their detention sentence. 

The night's events were somewhat hazy in his mind but he remembered the possessed axe that had been intent upon killing him and the fact that he'd been bested by a group of idiotic Slytherins. He also felt that he needed to give the girls an apology.

"I'm sorry for getting into this mess. You were right all along, Lily. We Marauders shouldn't have picked another fight with the Slytherins," he admitted.

"Remus, I appreciate the apology, but I don't want to hear it. You need to get your rest. Don't feel guilty about what happened. I'm more bothered about what could have happened," Lily stated.

"Yeah," Rachel added, "We're just glad that you're going to be ok. If anyone's to blame it's those slimy Slytherins. Yes a duel was a stupid idea but at least it would have been a fair fight. You may be idiots but at least you're noble. What those gits did was unforgivable, the cowards."

"Thanks guys, but I don't feel very noble right now. Neither do James and Sirius. I think we've all learnt our lesson this time," he sighed.

"Well if they haven't then they should be right about now," Jess explained, "they're currently polishing all of the trophies in the trophy room by hand."

The group managed to laugh at the situation, despite how devastatingly things may have turned out.

"When you get out of here we're going to have a very long trip to Hogsmeade to celebrate," Rachel told Remus.

"Is that so?" he asked excitedly. "And how exactly will you organise that? Hogsmeade weekend isn't for another three weeks."

"Well Lily's head girl so she can just add one," Rachel stated.

Lily nearly choked on the tea she was sipping. "How exactly does being head girl mean that I can organise a weekend trip at such short notice? Not even have that amount of influence. Sorry Rach, you'll just have to think of some other way for us to celebrate. Anyway, I should be organising this inter-house duel for the end of the term. Which, by the way, will not resemble in any way, shape or form the 'duel' that you had last night," she concluded turning to Remus.

They laughed again as Remus blushed, thoroughly ashamed of the activities he'd been involved in the night before.

"Well," Jess said, "Let's get back to class. I can't wait to show McGonagall how I can transfigure Rach into a beaver".

* * *

It was the end of the school day and the rest of the Marauders had joined Remus by his bedside, Peter included. They were discussing what had happened the night before, desperately trying to work out exactly how the Slytherins had managed to fool them so easily. 

"If only we'd had the map with us," Sirius said, "then we could have checked whether they were even in there or not."

"I'm sorry," Peter squeaked. "I should have been there. I just couldn't find my flaming wand anywhere."

"Don't worry about it now, Wormtail," Remus said comfortingly, "The most important thing to think about it is how they managed to manipulate the Room of Requirement the way that they did."

"It must have been dark magic of some sort, something that we'd never get taught in Hogwarts. I mean, they weren't even in the room to control those weapons," Sirius stated.

"Wait a minute," James thought for a moment, "What if they were in the room somewhere? I mean they must have known how far things had gone when Moony got injured. They must have decided to call it quits when they saw they might have killed one of us."

"You think they stopped because Moony got hurt?" Peter inquired.

James paused before answering. "As much as they might want us dead a murder at Hogwarts would draw too much attention to their 'bigger' plans."

"Dumbledore must know that something's going on though. Surely he must know a little of Voldemort's movements. If the school's been breached by Death Eaters in some way then something should be done," Remus said frustrated by how events were spiralling out of control.

"Well whatever happened, they got one over us and we can't let them get away with it," Sirius shouted.

Madam Pomfrey, on hearing his outburst from across the room, scuttled over. "Would you please keep it down," she hissed, "there are other patients in need of rest staying here, you know. Where's your respect?"

"Sorry," Sirius mumbled begrudgingly.

Once she was out of earshot the Marauders continued their discussion.

"We can't do anything to get them back, Padfoot," James exclaimed. "Lily's already mad enough at me as it is!"

"So," Remus began, "What's happening with Lily at the moment?"

James sighed and then explained to them the conversation he and his girlfriend had had that morning. It hadn't been an argument as such, more of an awkward disagreement. It felt like whatever he did Lily was pulling further and further away from him. She wanted space and he'd give it her, but it sure hurt like hell.

"I'm sorry for getting you into this mess," Sirius admitted, "I shouldn't have pushed this duel onto you all."

"I made the decision to get involved, Sirius, so the only person I've got to blame is myself. Now I just need to back off and keep the promise I made to Lily."

* * *

It had been two days and Lily still hadn't heard back from her parents. The longer time passed the greater her distress grew. If they hadn't replied was it because they couldn't? Because they were dead? 

No, of course not. They probably hadn't received it yet for some reason. Or maybe things were so busy back home that they hadn't found the time to write back. But Lily found it difficult to convince herself of these things. It was easier to expect the worse in the mood that she was in.

Without James to talk to she'd been bottling all of her emotions up, which was never good for her, especially being a passionate red head. He was so good to vent her feelings out onto but in the circumstances she couldn't do that without revealing the real reason behind her concern.

She decided to write again. If a letter still hadn't come in a few days then she'd know something was wrong. After breakfast she rushed to the Owlery before classes began and wrote a brief note asking her parents to write back as soon as possible. She tied the note to the leg of one of the school messenger owls, paid her fee and sent it off with the directions to her house.

Another two days passed and still Lily had heard nothing from her parents. When she returned to the Owlery she noticed that the messenger owl she had sent her latest letter with had returned empty handed.

At breakfast that morning she sat in absolute silence trying to understand what this meant for her parents. She realised that James hadn't stayed away from the Slytherins but he hadn't hurt any of them either. _They'd _hurt Remus who was still resting up in the school's hospital. Why would they punish her when they'd punished the Marauders enough?

James, who hadn't sat directly beside her for a few days, watched her intensely. Whatever had been bothering her a few days ago was still bothering her now. He could see it in the way her head hung low and her shoulders slouched. She was barely responding to anything Rachel and Jess said to her. He knew that talking to her about the way she was feeling would only make things worse but it looked like things were getting worse anyway. Something had to be done.

* * *

It was nearing the end of class and McGonagall had just revealed to the seventh years how much more work they'd need to put in order to achieve top grades on their NEWTS. Lily was suffocating in her thoughts. The stress of exams looming was only increasing, she was missing James terribly but still couldn't bring herself to forgive him fully, heads duties were becoming an irritation and her parents still hadn't responded to her letters. It was hard to focus on any one thing as each situation just piled on top of the other until there was nothing but a mass of confusion. 

Her breathing began to increase rapidly as her heart rate rose. A cold, moisture rolled down her cheek and she realised that she'd involuntarily begun to cry. She had to get out of the classroom, which had become nothing more to her than a claustrophobic space.

"Excuse me Professor," she cried as she fled the room.

"Miss Evans?" Professor McGonagall exclaimed as she watched the head girl retreat into the corridor and onwards.

"Well," she continued, "I was just about to dismiss you all anyway. Of you go."

James wasn't surprised by Lily's erratic behaviour. He knew something was bothering her but he'd been shocked that she'd so openly revealed it and in front of so many people. She was usually so closed off about her emotions when in public.

Finding his broomstick and tying a cloak around his shoulders, James flew out into the school grounds in search of her. She hadn't been in their common room, or the Gryffindor common room, or the library. She had to be outside somewhere.

He checked by the lake but she wasn't there. He checked their favourite spot by the side of forbidden forest and she wasn't there either. The Quidditch stands were also empty. Where could she be?

Scanning the forest treetops James realised he must have been searching for ten minutes now and there was still no sign. He was about to turn back when he spotted a glint of red in the distance. It was undoubtedly Lily's flowing red locks.

He whipped his broom around and sped towards her, dismounting a few feet away so as not to startle her. He chose not to speak but gently sat beside her as she looked towards the beautiful landscape around them, the castle in the distance.

"I just wanted to go for a walk," Lily explained to him.

"Are you sure you didn't run here," James laughed, "I mean, you beat me to it and I was on my broomstick."

Lily turned to look at him but there was no laughter in her eyes- only fear, hurt and sadness.

Suddenly tears erupted as if from nowhere. She was crying hysterically and she couldn't shut it off. It was as if the tap to her emotions had been turned on and it couldn't be turned off. As though the cork, which had been bottling her emotions inside, had suddenly popped out and couldn't be stuffed back in. There was no way she could regain her composure.

James wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into him. Whispering soothing words in her ear was all that he could think of the do to comfort her. If she was likely to tell him what was upsetting her then he'd have to give her the time to open up.

Lily turned up to look into her boyfriend's concerned eyes and she could see just how much he loved her. She could trust him and she knew that she had to show him the letter. He'd have to read it. She couldn't verbalise a coherent thought right now. She slowly reached into her cloak pocket and pulled out the letter.

"Here," she whispered hoarsely.

"What is it?" James asked softly.

"Just read it," she told him.

He carefully unfolded the note to read it. Lily watched his expression change from gentle to livid in a matter of seconds as he digested the words before him.

"Who sent this?" he shouted.

Lily was startled by his sudden outburst but answered him confidently. "I don't know exactly but I think it came from…from Voldemort."

"What?" James was exasperated by this news. He rose to his feet and started pacing.

"Maybe not directly," Lily continued, "but through his Death Eaters perhaps, or maybe some of the Slytherins."

"Malfoy," James spat viciously.

Lily could tell that James was likely to make a rash decision any moment now, especially with the mood he was in.

She tentatively rose to her feet and stepped towards him. He turned to look at her and asked, "Is this what's been bothering you?" His tone was gentle again.

Lily sighed in relief. He'd managed to master his anger for once. "Yes," she replied, "but I didn't want you to worry. I didn't want you to go and do something stupid, you know, like threaten them back or something".

"Only I went and did something anyway," James confessed sorrowfully. "I'm so sorry about the duel. If I ever did anything that put you or your family in harms way I could never forgive myself."

"I know that James," Lily assured him but her tears returned immediately, "It's just that ever since that night I haven't been getting any response from the letters I've sent home. It's been five days, James, and yet nothing."

James walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms, embracing her firmly.

"Listen to me, we have to go and see Dumbledore. He needs to know. He'll help us Lil. He'll find out exactly how your parents are and make sure that they stay safe," James said.

"But what if we're too late? What if they'll never be safe again?" Lily sobbed.

James didn't have an answer but he attempted to provide a rational argument anyway. "Lily, if something had happened you'd know about it. The ministry would find out and it would be all over the papers, just like when Cara's parents were killed. Besides, don't you think the slimy gits who sent you this thing would be bragging about it to you?"

"I suppose you're right," Lily accepted dejectedly.

"Right," James began, "Hop on here with me and we'll go straight to Dumbledore's office."

The pair sped off on James' broom and arrived back at the school, enough of the lunch break remaining to speak to Dumbledore before afternoon classes began.

When they reached the main staircase, however, Lily heard a cruel, muttering voice call her name.

"Oh Evans, I've been looking everywhere for you. I do hope you're not under the weather. Rushing out of class like that, it's really not like you at all," Malfoy said.

"Shove off Malfoy. We don't require your concern," James sneered, grabbing Lily's hand and pulling her towards the staircase.

"Oh but Evans, I am concerned but not necessarily for you. Tell me, are your parents in good health?" Malfoy taunted her.

Lily stopped dead in her tracks as she turned to look at the malicious glint in Malfoy's eyes. Something had happened and she knew it. Her parents must be dead. Here the Slytherins were bragging about it. What more proof did she need?


	6. The Next Step

Disclaimer: Characters and locations etc. taken from the masterpiece created by J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 6- The Next Step

"What did you say?" James demanded angrily.

Malfoy smirked slyly, "Oh, me, nothing. Only showing concern for my fellow students…and their families. Isn't that what Dumbledore's been encouraging us to do?"

James ignored Malfoy's arrogant response and continued his interrogation. "It was you, wasn't it?" he shouted abruptly. Lily seemed startled by James' reaction and the fear for her parents grew as she witnessed her boyfriend further antagonise those responsible for the threats she'd received. She placed her hand onto his arm and squeezed slightly in a bid to calm him down.

Malfoy's grin, if possible, broadened. "What was me?" he inquired, almost innocently.

James' face grew a deeper shade of red as his anger reached new levels. "You sent it!" he bellowed.

"I assure you, Potter, that I have absolutely no idea to what you are referring. But let me assure you, I wish I had sent whatever it is that's got you so hot under the collar. You may want to loosen your top button before you burst." He laughed manically at his own joke. "Oh, and Potter, when you discover who it was that actually _sent_ you something, do give them my kindest regards."

With that he turned suavely from them and head towards his Slytherin gang who had been enjoying the display from the entrance of the great hall.

"Come on," James mumbled and grabbing Lily's hand pulled her towards the nearest staircase.

* * *

"So you see, professor," James finished, "something has to be done. They need magical protection." 

"I thank you for sharing your concerns with me, Mister Potter, and I couldn't agree more. Miss Evans," he turned to address the quieter of the two heads, "I'll do everything in my power to make sure your parents receive the very best protection the ministry can offer in the circumstances."

For the first time Lily spoke, "What will happen, sir? To my family?"

"Well," Dumbledore began, "In cases like these, where muggle families are suspected to be at serious risk, a witness protection programme is put in place, where possible. Unfortunately, for such families this means a change of location, jobs and names. It's the start of a whole new life and for many the safest option."

"But how can we be sure that Voldemort won't find them, Professor?" she asked. Lily knew her parents were in danger and still feared that they may be too late. It was slowly dawning on her how much things needed to change if they were to have a chance of survival. But she'd do everything possible if it meant they would live.

"There is never any guarantee of completely keeping evil at bay but it may put your mind at ease to know that there will be only one knows the exact location of your family once the programme is in place. A secret keeper will be responsible for maintaining the knowledge of their new location and conversing between them and the wizarding world so long as they need to be kept hidden."

"So they'll be isolated from all other people?" Lily inquired.

Dumbledore looked at her for a moment, noting her anguish immediately. "Don't worry too much Miss Evans. Your parents will be safe enough to make new friends once they have moved. The protection put in place is not meant to hold them prisoner. After all, they still have lives to get on with. Just slightly different lives, at least for the foreseeable future."

James thought through the information that Dumbledore gaive. "Of course, with only one person aware of their location it automatically makes things more difficult for anyone who may be looking for them."

"Exactly," Dumbledore confirmed.

Lily still looked a little unnerved. "But how will I see them, Professor?"

"I'm afraid that for the time being it would be unwise for you to try and contact them. Correspondence must remain via letters sent within a secure ministry network," he explained sympathetically.

"At least those should get to them," Lily mumbled. A sudden thought struck her as she realised they'd not yet received proof that her family were still ok. "If you think my parents are still ok, why haven't they replied to my letters all week?" she asked, her frustration rising.

James moved his chair closer to hers and rubbed her small hand gently in his own. "It does seem a little odd, Professor," he agreed.

"There are several explanations that could account for the delay but, until we know otherwise, I think it wise to assume that your parents have just been too busy," Dumbledore suggested.

"Will you let me know as soon as you find out what's happening?" Lily asked eagerly.

"Of course," he replied, remaining his usual calm self.

"You could do it, sir," James stated, "Be the Evans' secret keeper I mean. I can't think of anyone more suited for the job."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. "It is true that I have taken on the responsibility of secret keeper in the past. But it is not for me to decide who will or won't be assigned the role. What I can do, however, is make the suggestion. I see no reason for the ministry disagreeing."

"Oh, thank you, Professor. Thank you so much," Lily gushed gratefully.

"You're quite welcome," Dumbledore replied, smiling widely. "Now, is there anything else I can do for you or will that be all?"

Lily had one final question. "Sir, when I can see them, you will let me know immediately. I just need to apologize for putting them in the position. For ruining their lives…uprooting them like this."

"Miss Evans, this is not your fault. You are not responsible for the actions of others. People make their own decisions in life, as you are well aware," he stated, glancing at James as he said it, "I'm afraid you'll be unable to visit them until they're settled in their new location and we're sure that they remain safe. But fear not. I'll keep you updated. And don't for one more moment feel the need to apologize. Tom Riddle is a sick man, his illness you are not responsible for."

"Thank you for all of your support," Lily replied as she smiled a real smile for the first time in days.

Just as they were leaving, Dumbledore called James back. "Try and stay away from the Slytherin students James…at least for the time being," he said and then winked as James followed Lily out of the office.

* * *

Lily raced down corridor after corridor in desperate attempts to find her boyfriend. She just had to tell him the news. She was fit to burst at any moment she was so happy and relieved. She couldn't appreciate more the relief she now felt after so many days of worry. She caught sight of his retreating figure as he head out into the school grounds. 

"James, James!" she bellowed after him.

He turned at the familiar sound of her voice, although she usually only shouted his name when she was angry with him.

"James," she gasped for breath as she finally reached him.

He laughed a little as she fought to regain her composure. "What? What is it?" he asked, gently tucking a piece of curling hair back behind her ear.

She beamed and then spoke, "They're ok. They were moved in the early hours of this morning and they're doing ok. Petunia's still upset, which I expected, and she's threatened to kill me herself, but they're ok. My family's ok, James. They're ok."

"I think we've gathered that they're ok then," James joked. It was nice to see Lily happy again,

"Shut it," she joked, softly punching him on the arm. "I can't help saying it. They're ok. They're going to be ok".

As James began to laugh again she laughed with him.

The couple walked out of the castle together to meet their friends beneath their favourite tree. As Sirius saw them approaching, beaming excessively, he immediately reacted.

"What's got you two so ecstatically happy, or shouldn't we ask?" he laughed winking suggestively.

"Always got to lower the tone, don't you?" Rachel mocked him.

"You bet," he replied immediately, proud of his honesty.

"Lily's parents have been moved successfully and are safe," James explained.

"Well, that's not what I expected to hear, but it explains those stupid grins you're both wearing."

They laughed at his crudeness and then sat against the tree, finally relaxed to just be.

Remus turned to Lily and said, "I'm glad you're feeling better. It's no fun when you're angry. Ask James. He's been walking around scared for a week."

Lily laughed at the thought of James walking on eggshells around her. She knew how snappy she'd been lately but she'd had good reason to be. "Thanks Remus," she replied, "I'm glad to be back to my normal fun-loving self."

"Hahaha," Jess responded, "I wouldn't go that far. You're a worrier at the best of times and there isn't anything that's going to change that."

Everyone joined in the laughter as James looked at Lily's playful pout.

"You know, Lil, you are pretty scary when you get angry," James stated, "but I wouldn't have you any other way."

"That's good to know. Next time we have an argument I'll shout even louder, shall I?" she threatened.

"I don't think that'll be necessary," he replied hastily.

"As we're all back to our normal, chipper selves, who wants to do something fun? You know, celebrate or something?" Sirius asked.

"I'm up for it if Lily is," Rachel answered. Everyone else agreed that if Lily was up to it they were too.

"Well, I guess that I'm up for it too. So I guess we all are," she agreed, "but nothing that's breaking any rules."

"Aw, come on Lily-Billy," Jess teased her.

"Ok, ok," she compromised, "nothing that's breaking too many rules."

"I have the perfect thing then," James stated.

Lily looked at him and eagerly asked, "What? What thing?"

"You'll see," he answered bluntly.

"You'll see? That's all you've got to say? You'll see?" Lily asked, clearly frustrated at his secrecy.

"Yep, You'll see."

"Oh, _James_!"

* * *

The Marauders had been there to celebrate countless times before, but they'd never dared reveal such a deeply held secret to anyone else before. Remus was a little reluctant to show them but James and Sirius quickly convinced him that the girls could be trusted to keep the secret. 

"So," Lily began, "I now not only have to worry about what you get up to on the school grounds but off them as well."

James laughed a little and said, "You've always had to worry about both. You just never realised it."

Lily replied, "So it seems".

Sirius was up in front of the rest of the group, slowly and carefully leading the way. "Come on guys, if we don't pick up pace we won't even be half way before we have to come back".

"We're going as fast as we can!" Rachel moaned.

The group steadily picked up pace with only the dim glow of their wands for light. Lily tripped on a loose brick but was swiftly caught by James.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Fine," Lily grumbled, "Are we nearly there yet?"

"Nearly".

As they neared the end of the tunnel James shushed the group down to a whisper. A dull rim of light could be seen above their heads, which Sirius revealed was seeping through a trap door. He slowly raised it and listened out for any voices in the room above.

They climbed up one by one once the coast was clear.

"You have got to be kidding me," Lily began, "We're in the basement of Honeydukes?"

"Yep," James affirmed.

"Are you guys crazy?" Jess screamed.

"Shhh. Keep it down," Sirius urged, clamping a hand over her mouth. "They might hear us."

"Well maybe they should," Rachel stated, "We shouldn't even be here."

Remus looked at her in agreement. This was something he allowed James, Sirius and Peter to do because they already had a reputation for rule breaking and they'd done this so many times they were practically experts at sneaking around. But the girls were a liability, and a risky one at that. They never should have come down here.

"Shall we stock up then?" Sirius urged.

"Yep, let's go," James answered.

Lily looked at them affronted. "You're just going to take stuff? Without paying for it?"

"Of course not," James replied, "We always leave a sack of galleons as payment for what we take."

"Well, I guess, maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a few things," Lily stated.

"That's my girl."

The group arrived safely back at the common room sometime later without so much as a hitch and sat down to enjoy their 'midnight' snacks.

"So, you do this how often?" Jess inquired.

Sirius smirked and replied, "Often enough. Why? You want to make this a regular thing? Just you, me and sugary snacks."

"As if I'd go anywhere with you, especially down some dark, deserted corridor."

"A guy can dream, can't he?" Sirius teased.

Lily and James were sat together on the couch nearest the fire. She laid her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes and sighed.

James kissed her forehead and said, "How're you holding up?"

"Okay, I guess," she replied. "I'm relieved but exhausted."

"I'm not surprised, you did a lot of worrying," James stated.

They sat in comfortable silence as their friends swapped sweets and laughed at Sirius' bad behaviour. As her looked down, James noticed that Lily had fallen into a peaceful sleep, a small smile gracing her lips. It had been a long day, but Lily's parents were now safe and things could go back to normal. At least for the time being.

AN: I'm really sorry it's taken so long to post this. I have no worthy excuses. I just needed a break from writing. However, i did start this chapter a few months ago and decided i'd try and finish it so it could be posted. It's definately not my best chapter and i hate the way i've ended it. Hopefully, you'll find something to enjoy in here. I'll do my best to complete this story asap. Please share your thoughts by reveiwing! Thank you all :).

VIP x


	7. Changes

**Disclaimer: All 'Harry Potter' related characters, locations and imagined world belong solely to J.K. Rowling.**

Chapter 7: Changes

It was spring and, for Lily, Hogwarts was at its most beautiful. The sky was blue, the sun shone softly through the trees, and the tiniest buds began to push through the diminishing frost. But there was something different this year to those they had witnessed before. Darkness had crept onto the horizon; the ever-present threat of a terror that lay beyond the safeguards of the castle. The darkest wizard of all time was biding his time.

Lily, Jess and Rachel sat relaxing by the lake before the final lesson of the day. There was a refreshing chill in the air and, as the sun slowly set, the castle's windows burned gold reflecting the changing light beautifully. A war might be brewing but Hogwarts stood Strong.

"It's so quiet," stated Lily absentmindedly. "Nothing in the papers. Nothing here at school. Not even a half-hearted 'Mudblood' from a Slytherin or two…I don't like it."

"Erm…Lil," Rachel began. "Are you insane?! You actually want the Slytherins to call you…that… and to constantly hear how muggle after muggle is brutally murdered?"

"Of course not!" Lily exclaimed, "It's just unnerving, don't you think? It's too quiet. Like he's planning something big. Something so big we won't know it's coming. We won't be ready and we'll never recover".

There was a moment of silence as the girls contemplated Lily's words. Rachel shifted awkwardly where she knelt. She knew that Lily had a point. Things did feel uneasy. There was a tension in the air that was near impossible to shift but what good was it to dwell on these things?

Jess, on the other hand, refused to accept that their current 'reprieve' would come to an end and sighed in frustration. "Well the award for world's biggest pessimist goes to…"

"It's not that I mean to be pes-" Lily began.

Rachel interrupted, "Look Lily, as far as I'm concerned, no news is good news. Let's enjoy this respite for as long as we can. Now, how about giving optimism a whirl?"

"Okay, okay," Lily relented. "How's this for optimism? Jess. You. Me. Wizard's chess in the common room after dinner. I'm gonna whoop your ass."

"Oh, you're on." Jess laughed.

* * *

Dinner passed uneventfully and the girls now sat in the common room awaiting the return of the Marauders from wherever it was they were. Several games later, their homework completed at last, they took advantage of the boys' absence and fell into comfortable conversation for what felt like the first time in ages.

"So," said Rachel, "How are things with James? You two have been unusually civil these past few weeks. I almost miss the heated fights you're famed for."

"Hush you," joked Lily. Her feelings for James weren't a closely guarded secret, nor were the moments of flirty banter they shared, but she was very protective of their relationship and didn't like to be teased about it.

"Things are good," she finally answered.

"That's all? That's all you're going to give us?" demanded Jess.

Lily laughed. "What do you want to know?"

"I don't know. Something more. We're single girls here, Lily. We get our romantic highs by hearing about yours," Jess explained. "You're experiences are our experiences."

"How do you figure that one out?" Lily inquired.

Ever ready with a haughty response, Rachel replied, "Just tell us already."

It wasn't hard to think of something to tell them. James had become increasingly demonstrative of late and things had taken a more serious turn. But they didn't need to know too much. Some things were private and would remain so. However, it couldn't hurt to tell them about the little things, could it? Those things she'd barely notice, taking them for granted until, in their absence, she was hit with what felt like a ten-ton lead weight.

"He does this thing," she began, "with his thumb."

"Do tell," Jess interjected suggestively.

"Get your mind out of the gutter Jessie," Lily demanded, "Nothing of the sort you're imagining, believe me. It's the sweetest thing. We'll be holding hands and he'll sense when I'm agitated, or stressed, or anxious. Then he'll gently rub circles into my hand and I immediately know that he's there, anchoring me firmly to the land of the 'sane', keeping me from losing it. It's just comforting to know he's there. Reassuring."

"As sweet as that it, that boy's thumbs must seriously ache. I mean, with you always being one of the three." Rachel joked.

"Three what?" Lily asked, clearly confused.

"Stressed, anxious or agitated?" Rachel explained.

"Hey," Lily exclaimed throwing a cushion in her offender's direction. "I'm opening my heart up here. Where's the love?"

Jess laughed delightedly, "I think you're getting plenty of 'love' from James."

The girls could contain their laughter no more and fully let loose, to the bewilderment of the Gryffindor common room.

It felt good to laugh. Lily couldn't remember the last time she had.

* * *

The owlery afforded a view of Hogwarts' grounds that few of its other towers did. Lily often came here to clear her head, but on this occasion was expecting a letter.

Her family were safe and had been for the past month, but precautions were still necessary when corresponding and Lily had arranged for her letters to be delivered in secret and kept hidden here.

Lily drew her wand, removing the concealment charm placed upon the particular area in which her correspondence was to be kept. She was in luck. A letter lay unopened with her name scrawled upon it in a hand she knew well, that of her mother.

Anxious and excited to hear how they were, Lily scrambled to open the letter. It read:

_Dearest daughter_

_We're missing you more than ever. Especially with the Easter holidays looming and still no clear sign that we'll be spending it together._

_Please thank your headmaster, once again, for managing our predicament so efficiently. Your father's started his new job and it's going well, while I'm happily setting up home. Your sister's still taking it badly. I'm sorry to burden you with the knowledge. She spends most free time in her bedroom and is struggling to fit into a new school. But I'm hopeful things will improve._

_I know you, sweetheart, and I don't want you blaming yourself. I want you to concentrate on your studies and enjoy school while it lasts. I rest assured in the knowledge that you're in the safest place you can be at this time._

_Take care my darling_

_Love always_

_Mum x_

"Love you too," Lily whispered.

She cherished every letter received. They were usually from her mother, occasionally her father (although he wasn't one for 'sharing' his feelings) and never Petunia.

Ever since Lily first learned of her inheritance as a witch, her relationship with Petunia had been strained. They were 'kindred spirits' as children and it was with immense sadness that Lily grappled with the idea that the two would never be reconciled. With the uprooting of her family, Lily couldn't help but feel she had put the final nail in the coffin. There would be no rectifying things now.

"There you are".

Lily turned abruptly, stuffing the letter inside her robes, to find James standing in the doorway.

"Oh, you startled me," she exclaimed.

James smirked slightly, "Sorry."

"How did you know I was here?" she asked.

"I make it my business to know where you are at all times," he answered matter-of-factly.

Lily eyed him suspiciously. "You do realise that's incredibly creepy, right?"

"Creepy, yes, but also necessary," he explained.

"So you keep telling me. Anyway…"

Lily walked towards him slowly, gently wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him in for a kiss.

"Hi," she whispered, pulling away slowly.

"Hi," James replied.

"Is it weird that I've missed you when it's only been three hours since we last saw each other?" Lily inquired.

"If it is then you're not alone. I've missed you too," James smiled. "We can be weird together."

Lily laughed heartily, "That we can".

"Merlin, I've missed that laugh. I don't hear it nearly enough," James stated.

Lily was intrigued. "And how many times would you consider enough?" she asked.

James grinned his trademark grin and answered, "Oh, I'd say at least fifty or sixty times a day."

Lily shoved him away lightly. "Who does that? On an average day, who laughs sixty times? I mean really, really laughs? No one!"

James shrugged. "I don't know," he exclaimed, "but with a laugh like yours it would be a crime not to let people hear it as often as you could."

"Then I suppose you better start making me laugh, Mr Potter," she teased.

"It would be an honour," James replied, proceeding to tickle her.

Laughter took over and Lily was soon panting for breath. "Stop…James…Stop!"

"Not until I've heard you laugh sixty times," James argued, his tickling incessant.

"Please…I can't breathe!" Lily continued.

James considered this and thought it best to stop.

"Okay, okay," he relented.

There were other ways to make her laugh, ways that wouldn't leave her quite so breathless.

Lily re-composed herself, straightened her dishevelled robes and glared at him. "That was mean!"

James smiled coyly. "Well if you'd laugh more often I wouldn't have to resort to such drastic measures."

"Laughter is one thing, but breathlessness? And besides, I have laughed recently. Ask Jess and Rachel," she explained.

"Fine. I will," James confirmed.

"Besides, I can think of a better way for you to make me breathless," Lily suggested.

"Oh yeah? And what's that then?" he smirked.

"Kiss me!"

And that was all the command he needed.

* * *

"So," inquired Professor McGonagall, "how are the arrangements for the duelling tournament coming along?"

Lily looked to James. The truth was, they'd been somewhat distracted of late. But plans were forming, a date had been set, and students were signing up for the chance to take part.

"Good," James answered. "Very good Professor."

Lily elaborated, "We've got a preliminary list of duellers. Trials will take place a week before the tournament begins and the tournament itself is planned for the final weekend before the Easter break."

"Very well," Professor McGonagall asserted. "Remember you must select the four strongest duellers from each house to compete. I want to see nice, clean duelling from all involved. Do bear that in mind when screening applicants."

"Of course, Professor," James answered.

"Well. I think that concludes our little meeting. You may go," McGonagall affirmed. "Oh, one final thing. Have you two decided whether you yourselves will compete?"

"No, I don't think I will, Professor." Lily answered.

"And you, Potter?" McGonagall asked.

James was silent for a moment. In truth, he hadn't yet decided. Should he compete? With the Slytherins involved there was always a risk, but out of everyone in Gryffindor house he stood a better chance than most. He could win the 200 points for his house and the house cup could be theirs, in this his final year.

"I haven't decided yet, Professor?"

"I see," she replied thoughtfully, "Off you go then."

And so they did.

* * *

The corridor was mostly quiet, students having retired to their dormitories some time ago. It would soon be time for Lily and James to complete their rounds.

Lily was the first to break the silence, more than aware of the battle raging inside of James. "You should compete if you want to."

He looked to her. Was she serious? Hadn't she begged him not to get into any more trouble? Despite the controlled circumstances of the tournament things could still get out of hand if someone so wished, if the Slytherins so wished. Did she know what she was saying?

Sensing his confusion, Lily continued, "I know you, James. I know you can't stand idly by and, well, the truth of it is, I want to wipe the slimy smirks off the Slytherins' faces just as much as you do. With all the necessary safeguards in place and with the teachers present, I don't see any real reason to worry. So, if you want to, and I know that you do, then go ahead and compete. Win first place and secure us the house cup. It's our last year after all."

"You mean it?" James asked. "You really don't mind?"

Lily thought about it once more. Did she mind? Well, of course, she was concerned for him. She knew he could get hurt, but couldn't anyone in a school duelling tournament? And how serious could things get with the teachers on hand? Oh, to win the house cup in their final year would feel incredible. To know that they had lived to the fullest, despite what awaited them upon graduation. She's be damned is she let the increasing threat of war spoil her final year at Hogwarts. No matter how serious the threat or how imminent? Why should she?

_Why_ should she? She _shouldn't_. She _wouldn't_!

"Yes, I mean it," she confirmed, "and I'm competing too."

"You are?"

**

* * *

**

AN: There you have it. Not my finest but I suddenly felt compelled (after two years absence) to try and get back into fanfic, finish this story in particular and perhaps start a few new ones. I hope you like it enough to stick around for the end. I envisage no more than two further chapters to bring this 2nd term to a conclusion. Maybe I'll find the inspiration to write the third and final term after that. Who knows?

**If you've made it to the end of the chapter thanks for reading and I'd appreciate any feedback you could offer.**

**If you hated it then please check out Wilhelmina Willoughby's 'Quiet Summer' and Lili Evans dotcom's 'All Over Again'. Both are genuinely two of the BEST stories I've ever read on here, penned by authors who I could only ever dream of being as talented as. Go! Check them out.**

**Thanks again**

**VIP x**


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